One More Chance For Love
by Dark Warrior1
Summary: AU KagInu MirSan KouAya OcOc After a sad past, Kagome faces her greatest fear with the help of Inu and his gang, and relearns to love. Undergoing Revision
1. Prolog

Ok, this is an AU fic. It may not seem like it's a I/KA at first, but trust me! It'll turn out that way. I promise. I am a total Inu/Kag fan. And yes, while I hate to do it, the kikyo bitch will be in here too, but as little as I can help it. Now, on to the disclaimer.  
  
DW: While I do own the OC's in this fic, I do not own Inuyasha as in the anime or manga, or merchandising, but.I do have the real life Inu tied and stashed in my closet! I found him a while ago, and he's been living at my house ever since. He's in there because I had to hide him from my parents, but now that they are asleep, I think I'll go let him out .  
  
Inu: *tied up and angry* What in the seven hells do you think you were doing? That closet was cramped!  
  
DW: Gomen, Inu-chan, but I had to do it. You're just too kawaii and I don't think that my mom would approve of a dog demon in the house.  
  
Inu: What do you mean by sorr-huh? You think I'm kawaii?  
  
DW: Hell yes. From your ears to your toes, and then back up to your ears. Especially your ears. And those eyes too. And, have I mentioned that I can't resist a man with a sword, or fangs?  
  
Inu: Really? Wow, I haven't met someone who liked me for being half-demon before. Actually, I do have a sort of thing for red heads.I think that I'll let you slide with the whole closet thing; but I think I'll punish you for that tickling you gave me earlier! Get over here!  
  
DW: Ack! That tickles! Well, while my kawaii Inu-chan and I make up for the closet thing, enjoy the fic! Inu-chan! Quiet, or else my mom will hear, and I don't wanna have to explain you to her.  
  
Inu: She'll get over it. Now, where was I.?  
  
DW: Sorry Inu-chan, but I gotta do it. Osuwari!  
  
Inu: %&@()*$&)@*& @#^@ #^@(&$(*)*( !!*&#@)*^  
  
DW: Oh yeah, and there might be some OOC. I haven't gotten past anime episode 38 or manga volume #13. Ever since I got back from school, I've been stuck with dial-up instead of wireless, so my downloading is severely limited to none.  
  
Words to Live By: Never complain about the system you have, because you might get stuck with something even worse.  
  
And in this story, the ages go as such:  
  
Kagome = 17 Inuyasha = 22 Miroku = 19 Sango = 18 Sesshoumaru = 27 Rin = 21 Shippo = 15 Kohaku = 15 Katie = 18 Jake = 18 Ayame = 19 Kouga = 21 Nobunaga = 22 Midoriko= 23 Kaede = older than dirt? Sota = 12 Kagome's mom = 30-40's? Tasuki = 18 (at time of death) Kikyo = 20 Naraku = 29 Other characters = 15-30's  
  
"" = speaking '' = thinking 'text' = flashback of either thoughts or speaking text = something that has been typed, like a text message or IM ~~~ = scene change, page break, or POV change ~*~*~*~ = end of chapter  
  
One More Chance for Love  
Prolog  
  
15 yr. old Kagome Higiraishi was just your normal high school freshman. She studied, got good grades, participated in after school activities, hung out with friends on the weekends, etc. But, all that changed one fateful spring morning. The morning that Kagome met 17 year old Tasuki Awajima and her life changed forever.  
  
It was during the Spring Sports Festival at Sengoku Jidai High. Kagome was entered in the archery competition, and was out practicing for her match later in the day. She thought that she was alone, but she was wrong.  
  
Swish...Thunk!  
  
Kagome sighed. Again, her arrow was just short of the center of the target. No matter what she did, it never hit dead on.  
  
"Nice job there."  
  
Kagome looked up, startled. While she had been deep in concentration, a boy had walked up on her. A very cute boy.  
  
He looked like he was older than she, by at least 2 years. He was dressed in her schools uniform. He had short black hair that had been spiked, warm brown eyes, and a smile on his handsome face. Kagome didn't recognize him, and the fact that any boy would want to talk to her made her blush.  
  
He walked over to the target and inspected her shots.  
  
"Looks like you aren't anticipating the wind. Even though there is only a slight breeze today, it's causing your arrows to drift. You need to anticipate where the arrow will hit and allow for the wind drift."  
  
Kagome stood dumb, still in shock that this boy was talking to her. She had never been good around boys. She was always too shy around them. And yet, this one was talking to her. Not only talking, but offering her advice!  
  
"Arigatou, um."  
  
"Awajima Tasuki."  
  
"Arigatou, Awajima."  
  
Please, just call me Tasuki What's your name?"  
  
"Higuraishi Kagome. But, you can call me Kagome." She blushed and smiled.  
  
He smiled back at her causing her blush to become brighter. "Alright, Kagome. Wanna try shooting again? Remember, feel for the wind, and allow for it."  
  
Kagome drew another arrow back. She felt for the wind. It was coming from her left. She aimed the bow a little to the left, waited for the breeze, and released the arrow.  
  
Swish...Thunk!  
  
This time, the arrow hit dead center. Tasuki looked at the target and gave her a thumbs up sign and a big grin. Kagome dropped her bow and started jumping up and down, laughing with joy. She had done it! She had finally made the exact center.  
  
Overcome with her excitement, Kagome ran over to Tasuki and gave him a big hug. He returned it, laughing along with the girl. Kagome realized what she had done. She released him, and looked down at the ground, blushing.  
  
Tasuki surprised her by reaching down and running his fingers through her hair. She drew her head up so that she was looking at him. Surprise was on her face.  
  
"So, Kagome, are you doing anything tonight?"  
  
Kagome was speechless. He was asking her out. She shook her head quickly, not trusting herself to speak.  
  
"Would you like to go out with me? I mean, if you aren't already seeing anyone, that is."  
  
"N-no, I'm not seeing anyone. I would love to go out with you, Tasuki."  
  
He smiled. "Great! Um, so do you wanna go out tonight?"  
  
Kagome nodded, smiling back at him. They exchanged numbers and addresses, and then parted. But, not before Tasuki gave Kagome her very first kiss. Kagome was still affected by it by the time she walked home, almost an hour later when her match was over. She had placed first.  
  
Right as she walked in the door, the phone rang. It was Tasuki, asking how she had done. They talked for hours, until Kagome's mom made her get off the phone. The next morning, Tasuki was waiting outside her home to take her to school.  
  
News soon spread all over the school that they were dating. Every day, Tasuki would take her to school and drive her home. They were inseparable at lunch and on the weekends. They went to the movies, the park, shopping, etc.  
  
About a month after they had started dating, he called her and asked if she would like to go to a dance club that night. Afraid that her mother would say no, Kagome said yes, and decided to tell them that they would be going to the movies. She loved dancing and didn't want to pass up the opportunity.  
  
Two hours later, Kagome was finally ready. She was wearing a black mini skirt, a white tank top, black boots, and a black jacket. She wore little make up; just some mascara and lip gloss. Her hair was pulled back into pigtails, and the ends had been put into tiny braids.  
  
Tasuki picked her up in his blue convertible. He told Kagome that they would be meeting some friends of his at the club, but that she didn't have to worry too much about it. He also told her that she should listen to him carefully, and to make sure that she was in sight of him at all times. That last part confused her, but she went along with it.  
  
As they pulled up to the club, which was called the Bone Eaters Well (A/N: So original, but it was the best I could think of on short notice.), Kagome gulped when she saw the length of the line for getting in. Tasuki chuckled at her as they exited the car. Slipping his arm around her waist, he steered her towards the entrance. The bouncer took one look at him and let them in without question. Kagome was again confused, but stayed silent.  
  
Inside, the music was pumping and lights were blinking. Tasuki led her towards what could only be the VIP area of the club. There, Kagome saw a group of teenagers and adults sitting around, watching the dance floor and talking amongst themselves.  
  
As they reached the table, one of the men, the oldest looking one, coolly gazed at Tasuki before turning his attention to Kagome. Kagome shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. He had long wavy black hair and reddish eyes. He looked cruel and inhuman, and Kagome immediately didn't trust him. She felt sick inside when he actually licked his lips while scanning her body with his eyes.  
  
"So, Tasuki, this is your new woman? I must say, she is quite the beauty. I think I'd like to get to know her better."  
  
"Cut the crap, Naraku. Leave her alone. You called me here, and I know it wasn't to discuss my girl. What do you want?"  
  
Naraku smiled evilly. "Well, it is about our rivals, the Youkais. They've been pushing into our territory these past few months. Those brothers, the leaders, are getting bolder. You, being one of our best, I am going to be putting in charge of a team to eradicate these pests."  
  
Naraku motioned to the other men with him. They immediately whispered to the girls with them. The girls all gave Naraku death glares, but got up and walked away. One of them grabbed Kagome as she passed.  
  
"Hey! What are you doing?" Kagome asked, afraid of being taken away from Tasuki. The group of girls was already away from the boys, and was headed towards the dance floor.  
  
The girl looked at her as if she was a baka. "The men are going to talk alone. We aren't needed at the moment, so we're going to dance. You, being Tasuki's woman, should know this."  
  
Kagome looked at the girl, a confused look in her eye. 'What is she talking about? What has Tasuki gotten me into?'  
  
The other girl sighed, irritated by this girl's lack of information. "The man who spoke with Tasuki is Naraku. He is the leader of our gang, the Black Spiders. Your man, Tasuki, is a very important member; he's high in the chain of command. Our rivals are the Youkai. They are a gang that is led by the Inu Brothers. They have been gaining power and territory this past year, and they are a major threat to us. If they manage to overthrow Naraku, then they will take us all out, including you, since you are now connected to us. Although, I am wondering if Tasuki will fully initiate you into the gang. You seem a little too.pure and innocent to really fit in."  
  
Kagome was in shock. She was a girlfriend of a gang member. Tasuki hadn't told her about this.  
  
The girl with her sneered. "It also doesn't help that you look like the girlfriend of one of the Youkai's leaders. Well, ex-girlfriend, that is. Naraku saw to that." She smiled smugly, licking her lips as she glanced back over to the lounge area.  
  
Kagome gulped, her eyes wide with shock. "What do you mean? And how do you know all this?"  
  
The girl smiled, slightly. "Well, Kikyo was the girlfriend of the younger of the two leaders of the Youkai. That is, until she met Naraku. She's Naraku's woman now, and it's got the younger leader of the Youkai totally pissed off."  
  
The girls smile got bigger. "As for how I know all of this.well, I am Kikyo." She stepped into the light, and Kagome could see her completely. It was like looking into a mirror. She looked exactly like her!  
  
Kikyo's smile disappeared. "Listen, bitch. You may be Tasuki's woman, but you had better learn the ropes quickly. There is only so much that we can do to help you. And trust me; what we can do for you is very little."  
  
Kikyo pointed to the other girls. "The girl with the short black hair and the little black dress is Yura, the girl with the feathers in her hair and the red eyes is Kagura, and the little pale thing next to Kagura is her sister, Kanna. The blonde is Christina, the girl with the dirty blond hair and the red cat suit is Brittney, and the skinny girl in the net dress is Kayra. We are the main women of the gang. We belong to Naraku and his top men. And now, you are one of us."  
  
Kagome was in shock, still trying to take it all in. She was the girlfriend of a gangster. She had somehow managed to get herself in a gang. What would her mom say?  
  
She jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking back, she saw that it was Tasuki. The fear in her eyes turned to anger. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.  
  
Pulling Tasuki outside, the two got into an argument; one yelling questions and the other answers. It ended with Tasuki telling her that he would always be there to protect her, and that he would try to keep her out of the gang life as much as possible.  
  
Kagome had sighed and allowed him to hug her and take her back inside. He didn't keep her there for much longer, and he kept her far from the others while they danced. Still, she could have sworn that Naraku's eyes were fixated on her at all times.  
  
And so, Kagome and Tasuki continued to go out. During that time, the war between the Youkai and the Black Spiders only escalated. Tasuki spent as much time with Kagome as he could, teaching her how to shoot a gun, ride motorcycles, defend herself from attack, and anything else that he could think of to keep her safe. Kagome had learned quickly. He also led many raids and attacks on the Youkai. And each time, Kagome patiently waited for his safe return, which he usually signaled by calling her as soon as he got back.  
  
But then one night, a year after they had started dating, he never called. Kagome waited and waited. A deep feeling of dread had been building for the past several hours, and it was making her sick.  
  
Finally, she took the initiative and set off for the gang's current base of operations, a large warehouse by the docks. As she approached it, she could tell that something wasn't right. The warehouse was too busy. Cars were still pulling up and people were running around outside. Kagome got out of her car and ran over, desperate to find out what had happened.  
  
Stopping one boy, she learned the truth. Tasuki wasn't coming back. He was dead. All she was told was that he had been killed in some sort of ambush that had backfired. He had been setting up an ambush for the Youkai, but it had backfired, and he had been killed when the ambushers had been ambushed by the ambushees. The Youkai gang, specifically the leader known as Inuyasha, had killed him, she was told.  
  
Another man walked up and told her that Naraku wanted to see her. Kagome refused, and the man tried to take her by force. Kagome remembered what Tasuki had taught her about martial arts and defense. Kagome took the man down with some well placed punches and kicks.  
  
Scared and crying, Kagome fled the Spiders warehouse. She ran back to her car and drove home. Her mother was awake waiting to scold her for leaving the house at such a late hour. But she stopped when she saw the tears on her daughters pained face.  
  
Kagome told her mother everything. How Tasuki was in a gang, how he had kept her out of it as much as possible, and how he was now dead, killed by the rival gang's leader.  
  
Kagome's mother was shocked. She had had no idea that Tasuki had been in a gang. And then she began to fear for her family's safety. The next morning, she made arrangements for the family to move to another city and stay with relatives there, until things had died down at home.  
  
16 year old Kagome felt like she was leaving a piece of her heart behind when the train pulled away from the station, never knowing when she would return, if she would fully heal, or if she would ever love again.  
  
~~~  
  
21 year old Inuyasha frowned. He had been searching all over the city, looking for a little teenage girl. She had been the girlfriend of one of his members and friends, Tasuki Awajima. Tasuki had bravely become a mole inside Naraku's gang, feeding Inuyasha and his 26 year old brother, Sesshoumaru, information.  
  
While inside the Black Spiders, Tasuki had met this Kagome girl at school. He had kept her out of the Spiders though, which Inuyasha had thought smart. His own girlfriend had been involved in the gang, and in the end, had turned away and left him for the leader of the Spiders, Naraku.  
  
Inuyasha couldn't say that he felt very sad about the action. Kikyo had always been a cruel and heartless bitch, but she had had her uses. From what Tasuki had described about Kagome, they may have been twins, but they had totally different personalities. Tasuki had been planning on telling Kagome about being in the Youkai, and then bringing her into their gang for protection. But he had never gotten the chance.  
  
Naraku had found him out, and had pretended to set up an ambush for the Youkai, but it was really a trap for Tasuki. A few days before he died, Tasuki had asked Inuyasha that if anything should happen to him, that he wanted Inuyasha to locate Kagome, and keep her safe from Naraku. Inuyasha could remember his friend's words well.  
  
****Flashback****  
  
"Inu, I need to ask you something." Tasuki had a serious look on his face.  
  
"Sure thing, Tasuki. What is it?"  
  
"Well, you know how I have my girl, Kagome, right?"  
  
He smiled at his friend. "Yeah, yeah, we all know. She's all you ever talk about."  
  
"Yeah, well listen. If anything should ever happen to me, anything at all, I want you to find her, and bring her here. Make her a part of us. I want you to keep her safe from Naraku, even if that means that you have to make her yours."  
  
Inuyasha looked like he had grown another head. "Nani!?! Tasuki, are you out of your fucking head? She's your girl. I can't force her to join us. And I can't force her to become my girl either. It's not right."  
  
"Inu, please, I'm begging you here. She's the best thing that ever happened to me. I don't want to think about her being in the sick hands of the Spiders, or Naraku. She doesn't deserve that. Look, I've been teaching her the ropes the past few months. She can shoot as good as me, ride a motor bike, and defend herself during hand-to-hand combat. She's quick and tough, I know that she can make it in this life, but I don't want her involved unless it is absolutely necessary. And my death will make it necessary"  
  
"Tasuki."  
  
"Inu, I mean it. This is my last request to you as my leader, and as my friend. I don't want anything to happen to her. Please, Inuyasha. If Naraku finds out about me and kills me, he'll go after her, I'm sure of it. He'll do anything to increase the pain and suffering that he's already caused. I want her to be with you if I die. You can protect her the way that I can't."  
  
Inuyasha sighed. "Alright, Tasuki. If anything happens to you, I'll find her and keep her safe. Even if it means making her mine."  
  
"Thanks, Inu. You are a true friend."  
  
"Right, just make sure that you don't go dying or getting killed. I want to see this girl of yours, but I want you to be the one to show her to me."  
  
Tasuki laughed. "I'll try, Inu. I'll try. I think you'll like her when you meet her."  
  
"If she's everything you keep saying she is, I have the feeling that I will. Now go on and get back to her."  
  
****End Flashback****  
  
And now, the worst had happened. Tasuki was dead. And now Inuyasha had to keep his fucking promise.  
  
The only problem was that Kagome's family had moved. And they hadn't left a forwarding address. It had only been a week since Tasuki's death, and already this promise was causing trouble for Inuyasha. Kagome hadn't shown up for the funeral, and a check at the school she went to showed that she had been pulled out the day after Tasuki had died.  
  
While Inuyasha wanted to totally respect his friend's wishes, he really couldn't afford to divert the gang's attention to finding a single girl. They had to retaliate against the Spiders, and quickly. They would not forget Tasuki, and they would get revenge.  
  
~*~*~*~ 


	2. Chapter 1

DW: And I'm back for another chapter. How did you all like the prolog? I had fun with it. And I realized that I enjoy doing the whole inner voice thing. I also found that I have a thing for gang fics. Don't know why really, but I like 'em.  
  
Inu: You said that you were making this a fic about the anime me and Kagome, right?  
  
DW: Hai, Inu-chan. Tasuki was just there to lay down the incoming plot. And, might I add, that I am a firm believer in 'love at first sight' fics. *sighs and begins to think about MJ*  
  
Inu: *growls jealously* Who's MJ?  
  
DW: Kuso! Uh, no one you should be worried about! He's a friend who's coming home from army boot camp in about a month. One of my best friends, Josh, is his younger brother. They're both my friends in fact. Very cute friends .  
  
Inu: *growls* He had better just be a friend. Both of them! You are mine, you hear?!? No one else but me can have you!  
  
DW: *sweatdrops* Yes, Inu-chan, I hear you. Anyways, would you like to do the disclaimer for me?  
  
Inu: DW doesn't own the anime or manga me, or its characters. She does own the OC's. However, I now own her, so if MJ or Josh reads this, HANDS OFF! SHE'S ALL MINE!  
  
DW: *sighs and shakes head* Your subtlety astounds me. I think I should put you back in the closet. Now, on with the fic!  
  
Chapter 1  
  
17 year old Kagome Higiraishi stepped into her old bedroom for the first time in a year. She was back home. A year out in the country had been good for recovering after Tasuki's death, but she was a city girl through and through. The country just wasn't her place.  
  
She definitely had changed on the outside after Tasuki's death. She no longer dressed the part of a preppy or popular girl, with her sundresses, short skirts, platform sandals, and sweaters.  
  
Kagome had her own style now, reminiscent of a raver; one that mainly consisted of tight, low-waist pants and capris and tight belly-revealing shirts, along with sneakers and enough metal jewelry to set off a metal detector 20 feet away. She had pierced her ears several times, and had also gotten her navel pierced.  
  
But while her outward appearance had changed, parts of her on the inside had not. The very name of the Black Spiders gang or their leader Naraku sent her into a panic. She hated violence, but was not against defending or attacking if necessary. Still, Kagome was always too afraid to actually use what she had been taught, except for the one time she had needed to get away from Naraku's lackey.  
  
She was still slightly impulsive, usually throwing herself into something without thinking. Kagome had done just that when she had first met Tasuki. Over time, he had taught her how to listen to her instincts and to look for signs, and to be patient and think things through.  
  
And she still had no interest whatsoever in any guys. In her eyes and mind, no one could compare with Tasuki. He had been her first love, and from the way she was feeling, most likely her last. She felt as though something had died inside when Tasuki had died.  
  
Kagome had always wondered about Tasuki. During the last month of his life, he had become incredibly busy, and Kagome had a feeling that it wasn't just because of the Black Spiders. She had let it go, although now she wished that she hadn't. Kagome figured that whatever Tasuki had been involved in, it was important.  
  
Her room looked the same as it had a year before, only dustier. She had already been enrolled in the other high school in the city, Tokyo High, and she was starting the next day. Kagome placed her four heavy suitcases on her bed and began to unpack. The floor around her had boxes stacked up, waiting to be unpacked as well.  
  
She, her mother, and younger brother had all left to stay with Kagome's aunt for a year. Their house in the city remained the way it was, with only some neighbors to keep watch over it. She had been saddened when she was unable to attend Tasuki's funeral. Kagome decided to go pay respects to his grave the next day, after school. In the meantime, she had some unpacking, cleaning, and rearranging to do before she was able to go to sleep.  
  
Morning came early to the household. Kagome was awake and dressed, eager to get to school and move on with life. Her uniform consisted of a short dark blue pleated skirt, short-sleeved white blouse, light blue tie, and a dark blue jacket, along with knee high white socks and black shoes. She spritzed on some body mist in the scent of jasmine blossoms and roses. It was her favorite scent.  
  
Kagome ran downstairs and into the kitchen. Kagome stuck some bread into the toaster and poured herself a glass of milk from the refrigerator, which she gulped down. Kagome took the time to write her mom a note, telling her that she had left early. Grabbing the toast and some money for lunch, she quietly exited the house and made her way to the driveway, where her baby sat in the driveway.  
  
It was a gift from her dad, before he passed away when she was 14. She hadn't been able to drive it then, but it had been hers for when she learned. The car was a beautiful blue '65 GTO. (A/N: Think the GTO from XXX. Yeah, that's the one. Only minus the guns, flame throwers, ejection seats, GPS system, rocket launchers, and everything else that was added in there to make it kick ass. Now, add in a cd player and some kick ass speakers. There, now you have it.) The entire inside was done in blue flames, and the stereo and speaker system was top of the line. The engine was the best one could get, and was built for speed. (A/N: this is so my dream car. I want one when I'm older, and am able buy one and fix it up/steal one and fix it up.)  
  
Kagome sped off in the direction of her school. Her radio was blasting, the song of the moment being 'Get Busy' by Sean Paul. Almost immediately, her body began moving to the beat of the music. She couldn't help it. One of her favorite things to do was dance, and she was good at it. Dancing was in her blood; always had been and always would be.  
  
She took a winding route to her new school that she knew was safe. It went through neutral gang territory, so she wouldn't be endangering herself. Tasuki had showed her the borders of both gang's territories, and also the neutral parts of the city.  
  
Pulling into the school parking lot, Kagome ignored the stares she got from other students. Grabbing her Discman from her glove box, she popped in her new Happy 2b Hardcore: Chapter 7 cd, turned it to 'Don't Cry For Me', and put her headphones on, quietly singing along to it as she walked.  
  
Kagome headed to the office. She would need her schedule and ID card. Walking through the halls, she paid no attention to the stares that she got. If she had, then she would have immediately been put on edge, especially the stares of two people who had done a double take as they saw her walk by. It was a boy and girl, both older than she, and they watched her with great interest.  
  
The boy had black hair to his shoulders that had been pulled back into a short ponytail at the base of his neck, and bright violet eyes. His right hand and arm had some sort of purple cloth covering it, and was wrapped with a rosary. He had a quite demeanor about him, but a smile that could melt the coldest of hearts. He also had both of his ears pierced. Small gold hoops decorated both lobe, with two on the left and one on the right.  
  
The girl had her dark brown hair up in a high ponytail and dark burgundy eyes. She had magenta eye shadow on and carried herself as if she knew that she could kick ass. She also had a necklace on. It consisted of metal tube beads and metal balls, and a tribal pendant. The tube beads had a section cut away to reveal a purple plastic string, and the tribal pendant was silver with a purple center. In the center, a name had been scratched into it. It read Miroku. The boy was wearing an identical one, only his read Sango.  
  
They watched as Kagome made her way to the office.  
  
"Hey, Miroku, doesn't she look familiar?"  
  
Miroku glanced at his female companion. "Yes, Sango love, I do believe you are right. She looks very familiar."  
  
Sango frowned, her eyes narrowing coldly. "She reminds me of that bitchy slut, Kikyo."  
  
Miroku smiled at her. "Almost, but personally I think she is a lot more beautiful than Kikyo. Her eyes are warmer, she isn't as sluttish looking, and she doesn't walk like she has a stick up her ass. More than likely, she's just someone who happens to look like Kikyo. Kikyo isn't exactly young enough to go to high school, or smart enough."  
  
Sango sighed. The girl was still bothering her. "Yeah, you're probably right. But I think we should call Inuyasha and ask him if we should do anything about her. I think that she might be connected to the Black Spiders, you know, like a lure for Inuyasha. He did mention something about a girl looking a lot like Kikyo that he was looking for."  
  
"Sango, love, chill for the moment. Don't worry too much about it. It's probably just a coincidence. We're going to be late for class if we don't hurry."  
  
The pair walked off to their first class, hand in hand. While they would never publicly admit it, they were very much in love, and everyone knew it. While out in public, they preferred to fight, but it was really their way of telling each other that they loved one another.  
  
~~~  
  
They reached their class and took their seats. They saw others that they knew in the class. All were wearing necklaces similar to the ones that they wore. Most were all silver and black. Very few were colored, like Miroku and Sango's.  
  
These necklaces were a way for members of the Youkai gang to identify each other, and in this gang, the color of your necklace signified who you were, your position in the gang and security clearance, and for those who were a couple, who you belonged to.  
  
Miroku was the Purple, which was right under Red, which in turn was under Blue. Sesshoumaru was the Blue, and Inuyasha was the Red. Tasuki, before he had died, had been a Green, which was under Purple. He had been planning on giving his girlfriend, whom no one in the Youkai had ever seen, not even a picture of, his green necklace when the time was right.  
  
The necklace would have done for his girlfriend what it did for Sango; it allowed her to go wherever Miroku was, got her all the benefits, protection, and respect that he got, and signified that she belonged to him, as well as the gang. Had Tasuki lived, his girlfriend would have been entitled to all the benefits that he had, and she would have been protected from all harm at any cost.  
  
But, Tasuki had died, and for the past year, the Youkai's had kept their eyes and ears open, trying to find where she had disappeared to at Inuyasha's orders. All they knew was that she had vanished the morning after his death, and that she hadn't been seen since. The only thing they knew about her was that she was young, semi-resembled Kikyo, and that her name was Kagome something or other.  
  
That was what had been nagging Sango. The girl had looked amazingly like Kikyo, but the possibility of the girl in question just reappearing like that was kind of a long shot. She had left and if she knew what was good for her, she wouldn't come back. Tokyo wasn't a safe place for the former girlfriend of a murdered spy, especially when the murderer was Naraku.  
  
The teacher had just started talking when the door opened. In walked the new girl from the hallway. Her headphones were around her neck but her music had been turned off. A collective intake of breath could be heard from the members of the Youkai in the classroom.  
  
This girl looked like Kikyo's twin! But then, the Youkai were able to pick out some differences. Kikyo's hair had been waist length and straight. This girl's hair was shorter and slightly wavy, going to just below her mid back. Her eyes were a warm bluish-gray, unlike the cold dark brown eyes of Kikyo. The new girl's eyes seemed to light up from within and sparkle with life.  
  
She was a little curvier in the figure than Kikyo, with larger breasts, a narrower waist, and slightly wider hips. She was also smaller height wise, although her legs seemed to make up a good part of her height. Her ears were full of silver hoops, at least 7 in total. All in all, Miroku was right; she was more beautiful than Kikyo ever was and could be.  
  
The teacher looked at the piece of paper that the girl had handed to him.  
  
"Class, it would appear that we have a new student. She has just transferred here after a year at Shikon High School in Kyoto. This is Higurashi Kagome. Higurashi, welcome to Tokyo High School."  
  
The girl smiled at the class, her eyes sparkling. Sango and Miroku, along with the rest of the Youkai, all stared at each other in shock, alarm bells going off as things clicked into place.  
  
This girl, who looked like Kikyo and had the name of Kagome, matched the description of the one they had been looking for. They had to call Inuyasha, ASAP. Cause if this girl was who they thought she was, and she definitely had to be, then Naraku would most likely find out that the girlfriend of the only Youkai to infiltrate his gang was back in town. And he would not be happy that she was alive.  
  
~~~  
  
Kagome had been nervous as she had entered the classroom. She didn't know from what. It was just school. No one would know her. It had been a year, and yet, as soon as she had walked in, a bunch of unfamiliar students had looked at each other, almost as if they knew her, or worse, had been expecting her. But they couldn't. They didn't look like members of the Black Spiders, and if she remembered correctly, none of the Spiders ever really attended school.  
  
'Shows what their priorities are. Or should I say, aren't.'  
  
She smiled as the teacher introduced her to the class. He then pointed out a seat for her to take. It was right next to an older girl with a ponytail, who was sitting next to an older boy who was wearing some sort of purple cloth wrapped around his right arm and secured with prayer beads. Both of them had on matching necklaces, so she figured that they were a couple.  
  
Sitting next to the girl, she turned and smiled, anxious to make new friends. "Hi. I'm Kagome. I just moved back here to Tokyo after spending a year with relatives."  
  
The girl smiled back at her. "Hi Kagome, my name is Taiji-ya Sango, and the pretty boy on my right is Houshi Miroku. You can just call us Sango and Miroku. Watch out for his hands though, they have a tendency to wander, usually to the southern regions of the female body."  
  
Miroku just smiled innocently at her, keeping his hands to himself for a change. Usually, they would be all over the new girl, but for once, he behaved himself. He didn't want to go scaring off the girl Inuyasha had been looking for.  
  
Kagome seemed a little nervous. She could feel the stares of some of the other students while her back was turned, and it was very weird. "Um.I was wondering, since I'm new here and everything, if you two would mind showing me around the school? I don't really want to get lost or anything. I went to Sengoku Jidai High before I transferred to Shikon, so I don't know the layout here."  
  
Kagome could have sworn that she saw relief flash across the faces of her new friends and went on edge. She shook it off, figuring that she was imagining it. 'Were they actually hoping that I would ask them to help me around today? Man, things have changed since I was last here. But I appreciate it. It's been so long since I've been able to make friends.  
  
"Sure, Kagome. We'd love to show you around. What's your schedule? Here, let me see it so I can see what classes we have together." Sango smiled as she talked. She had seen the wary look Kagome had given them. She had to get her to trust them.  
  
Sango checked Kagome's schedule. "This is great! We have all of our classes together! Showing you around will be a piece of cake."  
  
Kagome giggled, happiness once again creeping back into her life. Ever since that day, one year ago, she had lived in constant fear of being found by Naraku. She had always been afraid of making friends for fear that they would somehow get dragged into her problems.  
  
But nothing had happened for a year, and so Kagome now felt somewhat safe. She stopped, shock on her face, and then she grinned, smiling wider than ever. Sango and Miroku looked at her, puzzled.  
  
Kagome saw their expressions. "Oh, it's nothing. I just haven't giggled or even smiled like that in over a year, ever since my boyfriend died." Her expression turned sad, and Sango could see pain in her eyes. Kagome pulled out her wallet and showed them a picture.  
  
It was a photo of her and Tasuki that Kagome's mother had taken at one time on a weekend when Tasuki didn't have to do anything for the gang. The two of them were at a park, and Tasuki had his arms around Kagome's slim waist as they leaned up against a tree. Both had huge smiles plastered on their faces as they laughed at the camera, and they looked very happy to be with one another.  
  
Sango could see Tasuki's green necklace peeking from beneath his black shirt. But on his neck, she could also see the Black Spider tattoo that he had been forced to get for joining the rival gang. He had told everyone back with the Youkai's though that as soon as the mission was over, he was going to have it removed. He hated it, but it was a necessary evil.  
  
That picture confirmed it. This was the girl that Inuyasha was looking for. She was Tasuki's former girlfriend. They had to get her to see Inuyasha pronto. 'And, without attracting the attention of the Black Spiders' Sango thought.  
  
The bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom. Kagome and Sango exited the room. Miroku told them to go ahead, and that he would catch up with them later. He didn't have the same class with them next period, and he didn't mind missing his next class, which was math, in order to inform the other Youkai of the situation.  
  
The Youkai members all gathered around him, wanting to know what was up. The teacher was gone, and the other students had left. The classroom was empty, save for them.  
  
Miroku spoke. "It's definitely her, Tasuki's former girl. She fits the description, has the same name, and she told Sango and I that her old boyfriend died a year ago. Not only that, but she showed us a picture of the two of them together. It was Tasuki, and he had his Green necklace on."  
  
He gave them all a serious stare. "We have to keep her safe. Spread the word. Tell everyone that she has Green level, even though she doesn't have a necklace. If we know that she's back, then Naraku will undoubtedly find out sooner or later. We can just hope for later, until we get her with us."  
  
The other members all nodded. As far as levels went in the gang, Blue was highest, followed by Red, and the Purple. Green was under Purple, and under Green were Yellow, then Brown, then White, and then Black, which was lowest.  
  
Green was a pretty high color. Of Blue, Red, and Purple, there was only one main necklace given. Green was the highest level where multiple necklaces were given. In the gang, other Green members included Kouga, Nobunaga, and Midoriko.  
  
Green was a level where only the most trusted members reached. They had proven themselves countless times, and had never failed in battle. They were excellent leaders and could be trusted to command others, and they all had some sort of special talent.  
  
Miroku had authority over the Greens, and Inuyasha had authority over Miroku. Sesshoumaru had authority over all of them, all though he did have to be in agreement for major decisions concerning the gang.  
  
Of the Greens, Tasuke had been the leader. He was one of the strongest and fastest, and a good friend of Inuyasha. His death had been greatly mourned by everyone, especially Kouga, who had taken over the leadership of the Greens following his death. The two had been good friends, almost like brothers.  
  
The group left and went their separate ways. Miroku decided to skip class so that he could call Inuyasha and tell him. Ducking into an empty classroom, he pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number. It rang once before a gruff yet sleepy voice answered.  
  
".This had better be good, Miroku, or else you're gonna die in a way that not even Sango will be able to save you from."  
  
Miroku smiled. Only Inuyasha could know that it was him. It was like he had some kind of sixth sense. Either that, or Caller ID.  
  
"Morning, Inuyasha. It's time to rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty. Prince Charming is on the line."  
  
"Why the fuck are you calling me so early?"  
  
"Chill, bro. For your information, it's a little after 9, so it is not that early. And, I'm calling to tell you that we found her, the girl you've been looking for over a year now."  
  
There was silence for a moment. Then, "NANI?!?!" Inuyasha sounded wide awake now.  
  
Miroku smiled at his friend's response. "Yup. She apparently just moved back into town. She's going to the same high school as us, and she has all of her classes with Sango. I went ahead and informed some of the guys to treat her with Green level status, and to spread the word that she is to be protected at all costs and times."  
  
There was silence on the other end for a moment. "You are sure that she's the one? You're absolutely sure? It's kind of strange that she would all of a sudden reappear like this."  
  
"I know, but hell yes she's the one. She looks like almost exactly like Kikyo, answers to the name Higurashi Kagome, told us that her boyfriend died a year ago, and showed us a picture of her and Tasuki together. I'm telling you man, it's her. She said that she just moved back here from a year living with relatives. That would explain why she suddenly vanished and why no one could find her. I'm betting that her family moved to avoid any backlash from either side."  
  
On the other end, Inuyasha silently agreed with his friends thinking. "Alright then. We've got to get her to the mansion here ASAP. When is school out?"  
  
"3:15. You gonna be here to pick us up, or are we driving ourselves?"  
  
"Drive yourselves. I don't want to scare her off until we explain the situation. From what we know, she was told and probably still thinks that I killed him. Call me when school's out, or if anything happens."  
  
"Sure thing, buddy. Talk to ya later."  
  
"Later."  
  
Miroku hung up the phone. Looking at his watch, he saw that 3rd period was going to start soon. That class, he did have with Sango. It was time to tell her of what Inu had said.  
  
Kagome walked into the classroom, once again seeing some familiar faces. Ever since homeroom, she had been smiled at and waved to in the halls. It was kind of weird, but she figured that it was because she was with Sango.  
  
She once again found herself sitting next to Sango and Miroku, but this time, she had the feeling that she was surrounded. On all sides of her, she swore that the other students were looking at her. She kept looking over at them, but they would look away whenever she looked. It was making her jumpy.  
  
Strangely enough, they all seemed to be wearing the same type of necklace as Sango and Miroku, only in different colors. That got Kagome's attention immediately, but she forced herself to calm down.  
  
'It might just be a trend. Chill, girl. None of them have the tattoos. But then again, that too could be a bad thing. The bastard might have gotten smarter.' Her instincts were making her paranoid, but Tasuki had pounded it into her head to always be aware of things around her, so she had little choice.  
  
Sango poked her, bringing her back to a somewhat sane reality, noticing how startled she was. "Hey, Kagome. What are you doing after school?"  
  
Kagome lowered her eyes for a moment. "I was thinking of going and visiting my boyfriend's grave. I never had the chance to go to his funeral. I wanted to, but my mom wouldn't allow it. We.had to leave rather quickly, for a family emergency." Kagome quickly added. She didn't want anyone to know of her former connections to the Black Spiders.  
  
Sango smiled. She silently hoped that Kagome would say yes to what she was about to ask her. "Would you mind if we went with you?"  
  
Kagome looked at them her warily. Something was definitely up, but she couldn't place her finger on it. She tried to not let it bug her. 'She doesn't know. She couldn't. She's just trying to be friendly. She's not with them. They don't know that you're back.' But still, her voice had a bit of a suspicious tone to it. "Why?"  
  
Sango noticed the wariness and suspicion. 'It's time for a quick lie. Well, ok not a total lie; a partial truth.' "Because we wanted to do something with you afterwards, since you've been gone for a year and could probably use some help finding things to do around the city. And also, because we want to pay our respects to a very dear friend of ours as well. He died a year ago also, and his death is still kind of rough on us."  
  
Kagome relaxed. She bought what Sango said. "Sure. Sorry for getting so defensive, but I'm still kind of wary of people who try to get into my past. It's a long story that I really don't want to get into."  
  
Miroku smiled at her. "We understand and we're sorry."  
  
Kagome smiled back at him. It felt good to smile again.  
  
The rest of the school day passed without mishap. Miroku had told Sango of his conversation with Inuyasha during lunch, when Kagome was waiting in line away from them. Sango was shocked to find that the slightly shy yet wary girl they had befriended really had been the girlfriend of one of their best members. She just didn't seem the type to hang around and especially date gang guys.  
  
When the last bell rang, Miroku and Sango followed Kagome out to her car. They had gotten rides with other members that day, and had told them that they wouldn't need a ride back, and that they would see them at the mansion.  
  
Getting into the car, Sango joined Kagome up front and Miroku sat in the back. They drove out to the local cemetery. Kagome got very quiet as she approached the section where Tasuki was buried. (A/N: She had called his parents for the location of the grave.) Kneeling down, she stared at his headstone.  
  
"Hey Tasuki, it's me, 'Gome. I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner. My mom wigged out on me and moved us out of town right after I found out you had died. She pissed me off when she wouldn't let me come for your funeral." Kagome had tears gathering in her blue-gray eyes. She sniffed, and tried to wipe them away.  
  
"It's been a whole year, Tasuke. I'm 17 now. You would have been 20 this year. I can still remember the crazy plans we made and everything for my graduation and afterwards. But I guess fate had something else in store for us. I miss you, babe. It's been hard without you. I still don't completely know why or how you died, and knowing your history, I'm not too sure if I want to know. Sometimes, I feel like I'm safer not knowing, but.but then I want to know, because I want to take out the sick baka who took you away from me. They say that first loves are the hardest ones to get over. Well, whoever they were, they weren't kidding. I love you, Tasuki. Never forget that. I know that I will never forget that you loved me."  
  
Kagome thought back to a promise Tasuki had made her make for him a few days before he died.  
  
"Kagome, I want you to promise me something." He had a serious tone to his voice.  
  
Kagome looked over at her boyfriend. He was sitting next to her as she lay in the grass of her family's shrine. They were visiting her grandfather with her family. She was puzzled by the way he was acting. "Sure, babe. What is it?"  
  
He looked over at her. His eyes were serious. "Listen, if anything should ever happen to me while I am with the Spiders, I want you to go with one of my friends and stay with him. He will protect you from Naraku and the Spiders."  
  
Now Kagome was scared. "Tasuki, why are you talking like this? You're scaring me!"  
  
Tasuki reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. "I don't mean to scare you, 'Gome. It's just that I want you to be happy and safe, even if I die, or anything else. If I should die for any reason, I want you to go with my friend. He'll be looking for you. And, I want you to find someone who will make you feel safe and happy. I don't want you forgoing love just because I am gone from this world."  
  
Kagome said nothing. She didn't want to agree. She didn't want to think of losing him. This sudden interest in his death had her wondering if there was trouble brewing in the gang.  
  
Tasuki snapped his fingers to get her attention. "Promise me, 'Gome! Promise me that you will go with my friend! I've already spoken to him about this and he's agreed to it. You have to promise me, babe." He reached over and took her other hand.  
  
"Kagome, if anything happened to you because of my death, it would kill so many people inside. You mean a lot to others, like your family and friends. You need to keep on living, even after I've gone. If you love me, you will promise me to go on living and loving even after I'm gone."  
  
Kagome finally nodded her head, accepting what he was saying. "Hai, Tasuki- kun. I promise. But, please do all that you can to make sure that I never have to fulfill this promise."  
  
He nodded and then bent down, catching her lips in a soft kiss.  
  
Kagome bent down and gently kissed the name engraved in the black stone. "I'm sorry. I failed to fulfill your promise. Your friend never came for me. I'm sure that my mom moving us so soon had something to do with that. And, I'm just not sure if I can go on loving after you like you wanted me to. I wish.I wish that you would give me a sign that there is someone else out there for me and that it's ok for me to move on and love again."  
  
At that moment, Kagome noticed a strand of silver glinting on the black polished headstone. Thinking that it was just a strand from a spider web, she brushed it off. She never noticed that it was really a long strand of silver hair.  
  
Sango and Miroku stood by silently. They had heard every word. Sango was crying, and Miroku had his arm around her. Slowly, Kagome stood up. Turning, she looked at her friends. Her eyes had tears streaming from them. She offered them a weak smile, but it fell as she let out a choked sob. Sango held out her arms, and Kagome rushed into them, sobbing.  
  
Sango gently rubbed her back, allowing Kagome to get out all of her pent up emotions. She could understand the pain. Losing a loved one was tough. She knew. Her entire family, except she and her brother, had been killed by Naraku. That was why she was with the Youkai, so that she could get her revenge.  
  
After a few minutes, Kagome was better. Pulling away from Sango, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry guys; I totally forgot that you had a friend that you wanted to visit here."  
  
"Actually Kagome, we just did visit him. Our friend who died was Awajimi Tasuki."  
  
"Huh?" Kagome was confused. Her mental alarms went off, but she silenced them. This all had to be some sort of coincidence. They couldn't be with the Spiders, could they? Those were the only friends that she knew Tasuki had.  
  
"Kagome, will you let us take you somewhere? Everything will be explained when we get there. All I can say at this time is that it involved Tasuki and his death, and now you."  
  
Kagome looked at them as if they were crazy. She had no idea what was going on. Sango put her hands on her shoulders. "Kagome, please trust us. We are not with the Black Spiders. Your life could depend on this. You need to come with us."  
  
Kagome finally nodded. She allowed her two companions to pull her away from the graveyard and back into her car. Miroku took the wheel while Sango sat in the back with Kagome, holding her hands.  
  
Kagome stayed silent the entire way. She was scared. Tears still fell from her eyes, and she had no idea why. She only broke her trance when the car pulled up to the gates of a mansion. After identifying himself at the gates, Miroku drove the car up the long driveway.  
  
Kagome looked out the window. The grounds of the mansion that they were at were beautiful. There were trees and flowering plants of all sorts decorating the expansive lawns of the mansion. The driveway went up to the front of the house and formed a circle. In the center was a large fountain.  
  
Out in the middle of the lawns, Kagome saw a huge weeping willow tree. A pond peeked from beneath its drooping branches, which also half covered a stone bench. She was so concentrated on the outside that she never even noticed that the car had stopped. It took Sango poking her to realize that they were waiting for her to get out. She slowly exited the car and allowed Sango and Miroku to lead her inside.  
  
The inside was just as impressive as the outside. But it seemed empty for some reason. It was then that Kagome noticed that there were no other people there. Miroku walked into the main hall and turned a corner, disappearing. Sango stayed with Kagome.  
  
The older girl reached down and squeezed Kagome's hand. "Don't worry. You are about to find out more about Tasuki. It should hopefully clear a lot of stuff up, like his death, and also some more of his past that you didn't know about."  
  
Kagome looked at Sango. She finally realized what was up. This place.it reminded her of the main hideout for the Black Spiders. She had gone one time, and that was because Naraku insisted that all members and their girlfriends or boyfriends attended. Tasuki had never made her go again, and had kept her out of the Black Spiders various activities from then on.  
  
When she spoke, her voice was surprisingly soft and even. "Sango, I want the truth when you answer this question."  
  
"Sure, Kagome. What's the question?"  
  
"This is a gang base isn't it? And you're part of the gang that lives here aren't you."  
  
Sango sighed. Kagome was very observant. Tasuki had trained her well. She would need skills like that to survive, especially against Naraku.  
  
"Hai, Kagome. You are right. You are in the main base for the Youkai's, and yes, I am a member. I am also Miroku's girlfriend, and he's a member too."  
  
Kagome lowered her head. When her voice came out, it started cold and calm and quiet. "I knew it. I knew that this damned life would come back to get me when I moved back here. Only now, I've been taken by the gang that killed Tasuki!" The last part came out as a yell.  
  
Sango looked at the girl. Tears and anger were blazing in her eyes. 'Shit, this is not good. She still thinks that we killed Tasuki. She knows nothing but the lies that were fed to her.' Sango had to think fast.  
  
"Kagome, calm down and listen to me. We had nothing to do with Tasuki's death." Sango tried to explain. She reached for Kagome. The younger girl flinched and pulled away.  
  
"Like hell you didn't! I was told that it was the Youkai's that ambushed him! The Youkai's killed him! You killed him!" Kagome screamed, tears pouring down her face.  
  
"You were informed wrong." A new voice, one that was definitely male, broke through her screams.  
  
Kagome looked up, tears still pouring down her face. She was very close to running out the door. She didn't think that she could handle anything else.  
  
But one look at the speaker, and she froze. Standing there across the hall was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen in her life. She couldn't help but stare at him. He was.perfect. In her mind, she saw the white strand that was by Tasuki's grave. His sign to her, the one she had asked for.  
  
He had long white hair that hung to his waist, and the most gorgeous amber eyes, well, the only amber eyes she had ever seen. He was tall and muscular. He was dressed in baggy blue jeans and a tight fitting red shirt. He had on a necklace identical to Sango and Miroku's, only his was red where theirs were purple.  
  
And on top of his head, he had a pair of white dog ears. They flicked over in her direction, and Kagome realized that they weren't fake. Miroku stood next to him, a pained expression on his face. He had heard what Kagome had screamed.  
  
Sango took the opportunity to grab Kagome's wrists, keeping her still. The younger girl was still shaking, but oddly enough, her attention was now frozen on the silver-haired man in front of her.  
  
The man spoke again. "I am Inuyasha, the younger of the two leaders of the Youkai, and I can safely assure you that Tasuki was never killed by us. We Youkai never kill our own members. And I especially do not order the deaths of my close friends. You were lied to by the Black Spiders. Tasuki wanted me to find you if he died. We've been looking for you for a year now."  
  
Her promise to Tasuki flew back into her memory. Things started clicking in her brain, until she understood. 'He was the friend Tasuki had said would come for me.' But other things stood in her way of completely understanding. 'He was the one that Naraku said had killed him. Tasuki's murderer is his friend.' She shook her head, unsure of what to believe anymore. Her brain was trying to find its way through the maze of lies that she had been fed and believed for two years.  
  
This was it. She had had enough. All she wanted to do now was go home and forget about all of this. She wanted to go back to her aunt's house, where no one knew her past. Panicking, Kagome spun in a defense move she had learned, breaking free of Sango's hold and knocking the other girl off balance. She was out the door in a flash of blue and black.  
  
Inuyasha swore. He had expected something like this, but just not to this degree. He took off running after the panicked girl, knowing that she was in danger if she left the grounds. By now, Naraku had to know that she was back in town. As long as she was on their turf, she was fine.  
  
But, the moment she stepped off.No, he didn't want to think about that. He couldn't let her die. Not only would he be breaking his promise to Tasuki, but, there was something else.her scent.  
  
It was the most attractive aroma he had ever come across. A mix of jasmine and rose.pure heaven to his nose and mind. At the moment, her scent also included fear, anger, and sadness. Inuyasha wanted to help her, to explain to her.  
  
Hell, he just plain wanted her.  
  
The moment he had seen her, he had felt something that he hadn't felt before in his life. Total desire and attraction. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. From her raven black hair that framed a perfect face and expressive blue-gray eyes to her long legs and curvy yet slender figure.  
  
She was perfect in everyway imaginable and most likely ways that weren't imaginable. He could see exactly why Tasuki had gotten to her when he could. She was definitely one in a million.  
  
Running out the door, he could see that she was almost to the end of the driveway. She had forgotten about the car, and only seemed interested in getting out of there and away from them. He ran all out, his hanyou speed allowing him to catch up to her within moments. In an instant, he was right behind her.  
  
She was almost at the gates when a pair of strong arms grabbed her and lifted her off of the ground, bridal style. She immediately began kicking and hitting her attacker. He just stood there, letting her take her anger, frustration, and confusion out on him. She cried, cursing everything and everyone she could think of, including Tasuki, for ever getting her mixed up in gangs. Finally, her cries grew silent and she stopped hitting and kicking.  
  
Looking up, she found herself staring into the amber eyes once more. She became lost in them, and for the first time since Tasuki, found herself feeling something that she had thought died with him; attraction. Complete. And. Total. Attraction. Oh, she definitely wanted this guy.  
  
She again remembered her promise. And then, how she had asked for a sign. And then the silver strand at Tasuki's grave. It matched the color of his hair perfectly. The proverbial light bulb went off in her head as things clicked. 'Well Tasuki, I'm taking that as the sign I asked for.'  
  
Looking down, Inuyasha met the stare of those blue-gray eyes. They were full of such pain and sadness. She deserved to know the truth. "Will you listen now?"  
  
Kagome blinked. She nodded, not taking her gaze away from his. He noticed something else in her eyes. 'Why is she staring at me like that? What's that look in her eyes.attraction? Nah, I'm just imagining it. She thinks that I killed her boyfriend. She couldn't like me.could she?'  
  
Inuyasha began to speak, ignoring the look in the girl's eyes. "Tasuki was never a true member of the Black Spiders. He was in reality a member of the Youkai; a very high member at that, and one of my good friends. I remember the day he came to me with a plan for infiltrating the Black Spiders. He would go undercover, pretend to be one of their members, and get us information. It had never been done before, and was very risky. But, I allowed him to go through with it. We needed the information badly."  
  
He watched her expression. She was still listening, so he continued. "So, for 3 years, Tasuki played the part of a Black Spider. And then, one day two years ago, he mentioned meeting you. He had found a girl who loved him, and who he loved as well."  
  
"But he never brought you here to us. He told us that he didn't want to involve you in the gang life, that he wanted you in it as little as possible. I commended him on that. My own girlfriend was a member of the Youkai, but she betrayed me and went to Naraku and the Black Spiders."  
  
Kagome nodded. She remembered now, it was that Kikyo chick who looked so much like herself, who had told her about the Black Spiders. Kikyo, who was with Naraku now. Kagome didn't understand what the woman could stand or like about the creep. She personally had felt disgusted every time she looked at him. Or when he looked at her.  
  
Inuyasha continued. "So, Tasuki continued with his spying. All was going well, until somehow, Naraku found out about him. Before Tasuki's last mission, he asked me for a favor; a promise really. He told me that if anything were to happen to him, that I was to find you, bring you to us, and keep you safe from Naraku. I told him that he would be fine, but he loved you too much to let you get hurt after he had gone. So, I agreed with him. I told him that if anything happened, I would find you, bring you to our base, and keep you safe. And I have done most of that."  
  
"When Sango and Miroku found out who you were today, they immediately called and told me. We've been looking for you since the night Tasuki died. I told them to bring you here, so that I could tell you the truth about his death."  
  
"Naraku had him killed. It was a trap set up to look like an ambush for the Youkais. Tasuki was actually going to be coming back to us that night, for good. And he was going to bring you to us the next day, so that you could receive our full protection. All loved ones or family members of our members are protected. You saw the necklaces that Miroku and Sango wear, and how they are the same?"  
  
Kagome nodded.  
  
"Well, Miroku is at Purple level in the gang. He's right below me. I'm a Red, and also one of the leaders of the Youkai. His necklace signifies that he is my second-in-command. Since Sango is his girl, she wears the Purple too, to show that not only does she belong to the Youkai, but that she belongs to Miroku as well. She gets treated with the respect given to a Purple, and she gets security clearance and benefits that only a Purple level would get, so that she can be wherever Miroku is."  
  
"If Tasuki had lived, he would have given you his Green necklace. Green is right below Purple. The necklace would have identified you to us, so that we could protect you if trouble ever arose. Unfortunately, Tasuki never got the chance. But, in respect to his last wishes, I am offering you a spot in the gang. For your protection from Naraku, along with your family. And, for Tasuki's promise too."  
  
Inuyasha prayed silently in his head that she said yes. He didn't want to force her into the gang, but he would if he had to. Tasuki, one of his closest friends, had been like a younger brother to him, and he wasn't about to disrespect his last wish.  
  
Kagome weighed her options in her head. It had been a lot to take in such a short amount of time. 'Should I join? It would offer me and my family protection. And it would be respecting Tasuki's last wishes, not to mention that promise he made me make.'  
  
'Find someone who will make you feel safe and happy.'  
  
Kagome looked at Inuyasha again. His eyes captured hers. 'Plus.I would get to see this guy all the time. He is the most gorgeous guy I have ever seen. And those ears are so kawaii! I have never felt this way about anyone other than Tasuki. I think I may be falling for him!'  
  
Kagome finally looked up. It was now or never. Time to be impulsive again and see where her choice led her. "Hai, I will join. For Tasuki, and for my family." 'And for you.' She silently thought. She loved Tasuki, but, he was gone now. He had wanted her to move on and find someone else. And now, she believed that she finally had, even if Inuyasha didn't realize it yet.  
  
Kagome found herself getting rather tired very quickly. All the turmoil and stress of the day was finally getting to her. She yawned, trying to stay awake. But, she couldn't. The arms that she was currently being held in had unconsciously pulled her close, and she felt warm and safe, something that she hadn't felt in a long time.  
  
Surprising herself, not to mention him, she rested her head against his chest, allowing his scent to overwhelm her. She slowly closed her eyes and was asleep before Inuyasha could say anything more.  
  
He looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms, unsure of what to do. 'She's so beautiful. This feels so right for some reason. Why? Could I be in love with her? No, how could I? I just met her! This is driving me fucking insane! Well, might as well take her inside. She's one of us now, after all.'  
  
Carefully, so as to not jostle and wake her, he ran back up the drive to the mansion, where Sango, Miroku, and about 20 other members stood waiting. They had seen the two at the end of the drive, and had wondered what the results of the explanation would be.  
  
Seeing them come back together drew a sigh of relief from many of the members. They had been told who she was. The entire gang held and still had great respect for Tasuki. He had done the impossible, and had kept on doing it for almost 3 years. His former girlfriend would be well protected by her new family.  
  
Sango and Miroku saw that Kagome was nestled in his arms as Inuyasha slowed to a walk as he approached. She looked so peaceful and content. There were still tear tracts down her face, but she wasn't crying anymore. Inuyasha pushed through the crowd as he made his way into the mansion. He hadn't told them what her answer had been, and the fact that she was asleep could mean that she had fainted before giving it.  
  
Right before Inuyasha entered, he paused, and glanced back. "She's in." And with that, he was in the house. A collective sigh of relief escaped the group. Kagome was in, she would be safe. Now, the only thing on their minds was, what color would she be?  
~~~  
  
Inuyasha was wondering that same thing. 'What color should she be? I could put her at Green, but she hasn't proven herself as having the qualities of one. Plus, Tasuki never officially gave her his Green necklace, so that wouldn't work. But, if I put her at anything lower than Green, she won't have the protection that she'll need. I can't put her at Purple, cause only Miroku and Sango are allowed to wear that. And I don't think that Sessh will allow me to make a new color up just for her.'  
  
He walked up the stairs, going to the 5th floor of the mansion. This was the floor where the higher colors lived; Red, Purple, and Green. He had his room on this floor, even though his brother was living on the floor above him. He and Sesshoumaru didn't get along that well sometimes, so having space between them was a good thing. The room across from his was empty, so he took her in there.  
  
The room was stuffy, but clean. Inuyasha deposited his sleeping cargo onto the bed and then went to go open a window. And all this time, he was still trying to figure out what color she would be.  
  
Looking back at her and noticing how soft her lips looked, he realized something that had been pulling at his brain since he had first laid eyes on her.  
  
He wanted her for himself.  
  
Tasuki had told him that if he died, he wanted Kagome to be with Inuyasha if it came down to it. But Inuyasha didn't want anyone to think that the whole reason he had given her the necklace and claimed her as his own was to honor an old promise.  
  
No, he wanted it to be because he had feelings for her, which he now knew he did. Promise or no promise, Inuyasha felt that he would have wanted her no matter what. Deep in his subconscious, his demon instincts were telling him that she was the one. The one he had been waiting for his entire life. The one who he would someday take as his mate. He just didn't realize it yet.  
  
And that's how he came to his decision. He would do it on the pretense of honoring the promise right now, but then ask her how she felt about it. From the looks she had been giving him that afternoon, she most likely felt the same way about him, but he wasn't totally sure. He was a hanyou after all, and no one ever really wanted to be with one.  
  
He unclasped his red tribal Youkai necklace and gently lifted Kagome's head up so that he could fasten it around her neck. She stayed asleep the entire time.  
  
Finished, he looked down at her again. 'She looks better with it on. It looks like it has always belonged on her neck.' Her scent wafted up as he put the necklace on. He closed his eyes and inhaled the fragrance of jasmine blossoms and roses. He would never get tired of it.  
  
Smiling, he left the room, shutting the door behind him, and set off to find Sango. He needed her to call Kagome's house to tell her mom that Kagome would be staying the night with her. He didn't think that Kagome would be waking up anytime soon, and he didn't want anything to disturb her. She had been through enough that day, and she deserved some rest.  
~*~*~*~ 


	3. Chapter 2

DW: and so I'm back for a second chapter. Or, depending on how you look like it, a third chapter. And I've spent the last two days tweaking around with the plot to see how I want this to go. Yay! And now, I think I've got it. Gomen in advance if I end up repeating myself along the way. I have a tendency to do that.  
  
INu: Hey DW, I don't think that you repeat yourself.  
  
DW: Inu-chan, thank you. That's the sweetest thing you've said so far. Well, minus last night, but I won't go into that, mostly cause I can't remember a whole lot past the tickling. I think I fell asleep after that. My neck is kinda sore though. Do you know what happened, Inu-chan?  
  
Inu: *smirking* I made you mine, if you know what I mean. You're my mate now.  
  
DW: *sweatdrops* You what!?! I don't think my mom is gonna like where this is heading. I think I'll just do the disclaimer and check for damage. Not to mention try to find a way to explain how I became the mate of a dog demon overnight.  
  
Inu: Why do you have to explain? It's just my way of telling MJ and Josh and any other guys that you are mine. They didn't get to you first, so I did. And I didn't really mate with you. I just marked you.  
  
DW: It was still not right to do it before asking me. I would have said yes if you asked. It's not right to just go around doing things without asking. Now, just do the disclaimer, Inuyasha.  
  
Inu: Kuso, she didn't say Inu-chan. I'm in trouble. Better do what she says, or else I might get s-worded. Ahem. DW, who is now mine for life, does not own the Inuyasha anime characters, manga characters, or merchandising. As I said, I now own her. And as such, I will beat the crap out of any guy who comes after her, or even looks at her.  
  
DW: Here's the fic. *groans* Great. Just great. I knew that I should have left him in the closet.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Kagome woke up slowly. She looked around, unsure as to where she was. She was on a bed in a dark room. A cool breeze was blowing in from an open window. Quickly sitting up and looking out, Kagome could see that it was night time. She got up and walked over to the window. Looking out, she could see the grounds of a mansion. Confused, she racked her head for answers.  
  
Then, it all came back to her. She remembered where she was, and what had happened to her. Fresh tears fell from her eyes as it all sank in. 'I've once again become part of a gang.' But then the memory of those twin amber eyes came to her mind.  
  
Kagome smiled, her tears stopping. 'But, at least this time I knew ahead of time what I am getting into.' "Tasuki, I will avenge you, but, now I finally feel that I am able to move on with my life. You made me promise that I would move on, and I think I will. I think I found the guy who I want to move on with. He just happens to be your friend, and the one who I thought had killed you. Strange, ne? I just hope he feels the same way about me as I do about him."  
  
Kagome turned away from the window and walked to the door. She slowly opened it and found herself in a darkened hallway. There were lights under the doors of some of the other rooms, but she didn't know who occupied them.  
  
Silently, she shut the door to her own room and walked down the hall. She wanted to find Sango or Miroku, or even Inuyasha. 'Just someone who I can talk to.' And, point her in the direction of food. Kagome hadn't eaten since lunch, and she was a little hungry.  
  
Kagome walked down the stairs and came to another floor. This one had lights under the doors too, and the hallway lights were off again. Kagome decided that this floor, and the one above it, was probably sleeping quarters for the members who stayed in the mansion. She descended to the ground level, where the lights were still on and bright. From what she could tell, she had been on the 5th floor, and all of those under her had been living space for other gang members.  
  
Not hearing any noises, Kagome walked away from the stairs, through the large entrance hall, and into what she could only think of as the living room. It was a large room full of couches, chairs, floor pillows, and electronic entertainment equipment. There were a few people in there, mostly teenagers up late watching cartoons on the room's big screened T.V., but they didn't seem to notice her go by.  
  
As she continued her way through the mansion's ground floor, Kagome was starting to get scared. She was lost. Not only could she not find her way to a kitchen, but she also couldn't find her way back the way she had come. The place was like a maze.  
  
Right as she was about to give up, she heard male voices approaching. Suddenly, a door on her left opened and two teenage boys walked out. Both looked like they were about 15 or 16 years old. The shorter of the two had reddish brown hair that was pulled up into a ponytail and tied with a green ribbon. His ears were pointed, and he had bright green eyes. He appeared to have what looked like claws on his hands and bare feet. He was wearing dark blue baggy pants, a pair of brown boots, and a light blue shirt. Something about him reminded Kagome of a fox. Her mouth dropped open as she saw his bushy tail. 'He's a fox demon.'  
  
The second boy was taller than the first, but still shorter than Kagome. He had dark hair and dark eyes. His thick brown hair was pulled up into a short ponytail at the top of his head, and there was something about the way he looked that reminded Kagome of Sango. He was in a pair of long dark shorts and a sleeveless light colored shirt with black Vans.  
  
They seemed to have been patrolling the mansion together.  
  
Both boys stopped talking when they saw her. They had never seen her before, and thought that she was an intruder, not to mention the fact that she looked just like Kikyo, who Inuyasha had forbidden from stepping foot on his territory again under penalty of death. They both dropped into defensive stances, the taller boy whipping out a kitana sword, and the smaller boy flexing his small claws and baring his fangs.  
  
The taller boy spoke first. "Who are you? Are you a Youkai member? Where's your necklace?"  
  
Kagome took a nervous step back, unsure of how to answer. 'Necklace? Oh wait, wasn't that what Inuyasha was talking about earlier?' "M-my name is Kagome. I just joined today, I think. As for the necklace." Her hand unconsciously reached up to feel around her neck. There, it came into contact with something cool and metal under her shirt.  
  
Surprised, she pulled it out and looked down. It was a Youkai tribal necklace, in the colors of red and silver. 'That's funny. Inuyasha was wearing an identical one today.'  
  
Seeing the Red necklace, both boys gulped. They understood what it meant immediately, even if Kagome didn't. She was under the direct protection of Inuyasha himself, and that necklace also signified that he had a claim on her. She was untouchable to all the males in the gang. She belonged to Inuyasha and Inuyasha alone.  
  
The two boys dropped their stances and put away their weapons. They both bowed low in apology. "Gomen, Kagome-sama. We didn't know. We're sorry."  
  
Kagome smiled at them. Sure, their behavior was strange, but they were the two people who were up and around her at this time. She could use their help. "Um, ok you two, you can stop bowing now. Really, you're kind of freaking me out. And please, just call me Kagome, no -sama on the end." The two boys stopped and looked at her. They relaxed when they saw her smile. "I was wondering.I just woke up, and I haven't eaten since lunch. Am I anywhere near the kitchen?"  
  
The two boys stared at her. This Kagome girl was strange. Why didn't she just go to Inuyasha and ask him?  
  
Kagome looked at the two boys, and as if reading their minds said, "I was asleep when I was brought in here, so I have no idea where everyone is or where everything is. Today was a rough day for me. So, could you please take me to the kitchen or wherever you guys have food around here?"  
  
The smaller of the two boys nodded. Smiling, he took her hand and led her down a few hallways. The taller boy left too, but in the opposite direction. He wanted to go get some of the others; namely Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku. They would no doubt like to know that she was up and around the mansion at 3 am.  
  
~~~  
  
Kagome and the smaller boy, who had introduced himself as Kitsune Shippo, made it to the kitchen without problems. Kagome sat on the countertop as Shippou and she talked about various things. They found that they both loved anime and manga and were discussing their favorites.  
  
He was busy running around trying to find some sort of food for Kagome. All they seemed to have was ramen and Pop-tarts. Kagome told him that ramen was fine. She didn't care what it was, as long as it was edible, warm, and yummy.  
  
The other boy had reached Miroku's room, knowing that most likely Sango would be there too. Miroku's room was next to Inuyasha's room, but he decided that Miroku and Sango would know how to deal with their leader better than he could at such a late hour. He knocked on the door. There was no answer. He knocked again, louder this time.  
  
He was about to knock a third time when a sleepy voice could be heard. It was Miroku. "Who is it? What do you want? Go away. We're trying to sleep."  
  
The boy grinned. He had been right. Miroku and Sango were in there together. "It's me, Kohaku. I just wanted to let you know that some new girl named Kagome is awake and walking around the mansion by herself. She says that she's hungry. Shippo is with her right now."  
  
There was suddenly the sound of a lot of movement from the room. Moments later, Miroku and Sango were at the door.  
  
Miroku was dressed in jeans and a purple button up shirt. He hadn't bothered to button it up, and so his toned chest was exposed. His necklace and the purple cloth and rosary beads were on, but looked as though he had done a fast job at wrapping it.  
  
Sango was wearing a pair of Miroku's jeans, which were belted tight to keep from falling off and a white tank top that clung to her body's curves. Her hair had been pulled back into a quick ponytail and she was wearing sandals. She too had her necklace on.  
  
Kohaku smirked at what Sango was wearing. He knew what they had really meant by sleeping. "Nice clothes there, sis."  
  
Sango smirked back at him, an evil punishment crossing her mind. "Thanks, little bro. Now, why don't you be a good boy and go wake up Inuyasha for us."  
  
Kohaku paled at the mention of waking Inuyasha up. Waking up Inuyasha was never a good thing. He could be very cranky and take it out on whoever woke him.  
  
"There's no need to do that. You guys made enough noise to wake the dead." A gruff voice broke in.  
  
The group of three looked down the hall and saw a sleepy Inuyasha standing in front of his open doorway. He looked as though he had been sleeping and then had quickly gotten dressed. He was wearing a pair of baggy blue jeans and a red beater, and his shoes were on but not tied. His hair had been pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck.  
  
He yawned, showing his fangs. "What's with all the movement at 3 am? You guys look like there's some sort of emergency."  
  
Sango just jerked her head in the direction of Kagome's door. "Kohaku just told us that Kagome's up and walking around the mansion. Apparently, she's hungry and got lost looking for the kitchen. Shippo's with her right now."  
  
At the mention of Kagome, Inuyasha woke fully up. He walked over to the others. They noticed the absence of his red Youkai tribal necklace. It was quite unusual to see him without it.  
  
Sango and Miroku looked at each other for a moment, and realized what he had done as things clicked in their brains; missing necklace and Inuyasha's interest in Kagome. He had given it to Kagome. That was as good as asking her out and her saying yes. She was now identified as being his.  
  
Sango wondered if Kagome knew the significance of what Inuyasha had done.  
  
Miroku wondered why their leader was making a move on her so soon after meeting her.  
  
Inuyasha looked at all of them. "Well, come on then. Let's go see how she's doing."  
  
Miroku slapped him on the shoulder and grinned. "You go on ahead, Inu. We're gonna talk for a sec, and then join up with you in the kitchen."  
  
Inuyasha realized that they must have noticed the missing necklace. He decided to give them a quick explanation that would answer what questions they would no doubt be asking after he left. Miroku gave him a lecherous grin, letting him know exactly what he was thinking about.  
  
"No, she doesn't know that she's wearing it and she doesn't know what it means. I plan on telling her when I get down there. And Miroku, get your mind out of the gutter before Sango smacks you again." Right as he said that, the sound of a smack and a thump was heard as Sango hit Miroku and Miroku hit the floor.  
  
Shaking his head, the silver haired co-leader of the Youkai walked down the stairs and disappeared. Realizing that he had just given them the answers to what they would have been asking, they turned and followed him.  
  
Inuyasha decided to let his nose lead him to Kagome. Ever since he had gotten her scent earlier that afternoon, it had been on his mind. Even this late at night, it was still affecting him. Her scent was heavenly, one that he wouldn't mind smelling for the rest of his life. 'And with some luck, hopefully that can be arranged.'  
  
He caught a trace of it coming down the stairs, and he followed it. He followed the scent through the living room, where Kouga and some Black levels were sitting watching T.V. Kouga looked up at him as he passed, but returned his attention to the cartoon show they were watching a second later.  
  
Moments after leaving the living room; he could hear the sounds of Kagome laughing. He smiled at the pleasant sound. He paused at the doorway, casually leaning against the frame as he took in the scene in the kitchen.  
  
Kagome was sitting on the counter of the kitchen's island cabinets, laughing at Shippo, who was drenched in water. An empty pot was on the floor next to him. Shippo looked miserable. His hair and fur was sticking to his body, making him look like a glorified pipe cleaner. (A/N: I so could not resist putting that in. I love glorifying things for examples. Hehehe!)  
  
Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku all reached the doorway right as Inuyasha started to laugh. Looking in, they started to laugh too. Shippou definitely didn't look good wet.  
  
At the sound of the new laughter, Kagome stopped laughing and froze, her gaze turned towards the others. Shippo froze too. He saw Inuyasha there, looking at the two of them. 'Holy shit! I'm standing here with Inu's woman, alone, in the kitchen. I am so dead.'  
  
Inuyasha saw the look of fear cross over Shippos face. Before he could do or say anything, Shippo was trying to explain. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be here alone with your woman! Honest! She was lost, and hungry, and she asked me and Kohaku where the kitchen was, and I was just trying to make some ramen, but I'm too short, and the pot fell on me."  
  
Groaning silently, Inuyasha silenced him with a wave of his hand. He had seen the look of slight confusion on Kagome's face when Shippo had called her his woman. It wasn't the way he had wanted to explain the necklace to her. Hell, he wanted to ask her if she would be his girlfriend. He liked her, he thought that she was the most beautiful creature in the world, she smelled like heaven, and he wanted her. And now he needed to talk with her himself.  
  
"Shippo, it's alright. Go now. I need to talk with Kagome in private. That goes for the rest of you too." Sango, Miroku, Kohaku and Shippo all exited the kitchen. They knew that Inuyasha had some explaining to do.  
  
Kagome still had that confused look on her face, but she had raised an eyebrow at the gang leader. It was then that she noticed that Inuyasha's necklace was missing. Placing her hand around her neck, she figured that the necklace she was now wearing was his.  
  
Her perceptive brain went to work. What was it that Inuyasha had said the other day when they were in the driveway? He had used Sango and Miroku as examples. 'Something about the necklaces signifying different things. One was being a member in the gang, another was position and the level of protection you were given, and the last was.possession.' It dawned on her then. He had put his necklace on her and claimed her as belonging to him.  
  
Kagome looked at him. His face was turned to the side, and she could see a blush on it. He knew what she was thinking as she touched the necklace. Inside, Kagome smiled, happiness bubbling up. She hadn't felt this way since the day Tasuki had asked her out, and even now, the feeling was almost twice as strong. She liked this guy, and apparently, he liked her as well. He had asked her out in his own way. Well, she was going to answer in her own way too.  
  
She couldn't let him stand there silent anymore. "Inuyasha, did you put this necklace on me?" She was fighting to keep the smile off of her face that she knew wanted to show itself.  
  
He looked up at her. Kagome didn't seem mad at him. She actually looked like she was trying to hide a smile. He still decided to hide the real reason. "Well, you see, um.I'm not too sure how to explain this. I couldn't figure out which level to put you as. You couldn't really be a Green, even though Tasuki was. And anything lower wouldn't have had enough protection, so you see; I put the Red on you to keep you safe." He looked up at her, seeing if she would buy the false explanation.  
  
Kagome felt hurt deep inside as he explained it to her. 'He only gave me his necklace because he's following Tasuki's last wish. Kagome no baka, you shouldn't have gotten your hopes up.' "Oh."  
  
Inuyasha smelt salt. Looking at her, he saw her eyes water. 'Oh great. Now what did I do? Is she crying because I told her that I gave her my necklace only to protect her? Did she actually want me to claim her as my woman?'  
  
"Kagome, why are you crying?"  
  
Kagome looked over at him. He seemed shocked to see her crying. 'Should I tell him how I feel? Should I see if he actually feels the same way? Might as well. Nothing else to lose now.' "Oh, it's silly really. I guess I just read into the whole necklace thing too much. I remembered that there were three meanings for the necklace; membership, rank and protection, and."  
  
"Possession." Inuyasha finished for her, his eyes widening slightly in realization. He understood now. She had been thinking that he had claimed her as his. "Kagome, did you really think that I would claim you as mine without asking you first?"  
  
Kagome choked back the sobs she knew were trying to get out. He didn't want her. But wait, had he just said without asking her first? "Wi-without asking me first?" she managed to say.  
  
She turned to look at him. He walked over to her and stood in front of her. Reaching out with a clawed hand, he gently wiped away some of the tears that had slid down her cheeks with his fingers. "Kagome, I don't feel that it is right to claim a girl without asking her. You actually thought that I did that to you?"  
  
Kagome nodded, lowering her head. "Hai, and.I actually wanted you to."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her, amazed. She had wanted him to claim her. Well, at least he knew how she felt now. He picked his next words carefully, giving her a choice and a chance to reject him still. "Kagome, would you like to be mine?"  
  
Kagome snapped her head up to meet his gaze. The tears in her eyes froze. Their faces were inches apart. Her eyes were trapped in his amber pools. 'Well, here's my chance to tell him. Or, should I say, show him!'  
  
Without speaking a word, she reached her hands up to his face and pulled him down to her as she closed her eyes, leaned forward, and pressed his lips against her own. He tasted delicious, all wild and outdoorsy, with a hint of something dangerous mixed in. She liked it, and liked the way his lips felt on hers. Not even her first kiss with Tasuki could compare to this one. Her body felt like it was on fire and only kissing him could cool her.  
  
Inuyasha was surprised at first when he felt her kiss him. The surprise only lasted for a half-second before he reacted. Pulling away slightly, he said, "I take that as a yes." Her only response was to pull his lips back to hers.  
  
He smiled against her mouth. She was so soft and she tasted like heaven, sweet and innocent and pure. Kissing her felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was as if she had been made just for him. He wrapped his arms possessively around her, bringing her closer to his body. She in turn circled her arms around his neck, and the two of them stayed in lip lock.  
  
Outside in the hallway, the group of four noticed that it was a little too quiet in the kitchen. Carefully, they peeked in and were shocked at the scene in front of them. Kagome was sitting on the countertop still, but now Inuyasha was standing between her legs, and the two were kissing. Their arms were around each other, and they were oblivious to the world around them. And from what everyone could see, they were enjoying what they were doing.  
  
The moment was soon spoiled by Miroku and his perverted nature. "Yeah Inu! You go, dog!"  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome broke their kiss, cheeks blazing and a little out of breath. Turning, Inuyasha saw the group staring at them. His arms were still around Kagome's waist, and her arms were still around his neck. He growled low in his chest at being interrupted. He had been enjoying himself, and from the way Kagome was breathing, she had been too.  
  
"Houshi, I have two words for you; start running." Inuyasha reluctantly released Kagome, but not before giving her a quick kiss on the nose. He then ran out of the kitchen, chasing Miroku's retreating form.  
  
Kagome couldn't help but laugh. Sango joined in. Shippo and Kohaku had left for the safety of their rooms, fearful that they would be next on Inuyasha's list for spying.  
  
Sango walked up to Kagome and smiled. She saw the necklace, the breathless look on Kagome's face, and the way she was touching her swollen lips with her fingers. "So, not only are you in, but you're Inuyasha's girlfriend too."  
  
Kagome lowered her hand from her lips and nodded. "Yeah, I guess I am." Her eyes took on sadness to them for a second before returning to their happy state. "I'll always miss Tasuki, but I know that he would want me to be happy. And Inuyasha makes me happy. Being friends with you and Miroku makes me happy. Knowing that my family will be protected makes me happy. And this all just feels so right for some reason. I can't explain it, so I think I'm going to go with it."  
  
Sango nodded at her friend. "Kagome, I'm amazed. You have handled this whole mess a lot better than most would. You're strong, Tasuki saw to that with his training. And being with Inuyasha will help keep you strong. I've been friends with Inuyasha since we were in school together. He's a good guy, but he's been through hell because of what he is. He's grown up tough."  
  
Kagome cocked her head to the side, her eyes innocent. "What do you mean, Sango? What is Inuyasha exactly?"  
  
Sango sighed. She had thought that Kagome had known. "Inuyasha is an inu hanyou. In other words, he's half dog demon and half human. His older half- brother, Sesshoumaru, is the other leader of the Youkai. Unlike Inuyasha, Sessh is a full inu youkai. Because of his hanyou state, Inuyasha took a lot of crap as a kid. It's tough being shunned by both humans and demons. Both his parents died when he was a young child, so he was alone for most of his life. Inuyasha was once beaten so badly as a kid that he almost died. Sesshoumaru found him all bloody and bruised in an alley and took him in and raised him. If it wasn't for Sessh, I don't think that he would be here today."  
  
Sango narrowed her burgundy eyes. "But Sesshoumaru likes to keep Inuyasha in his place. He tends to remind Inu of his half demon status. But Inu gets back at him by making fun of how Sesshoumaru looks quite feminine. They tend to fight a lot. But, for the most part, the two of them get along. I'm surprised that you didn't know about that."  
  
Kagome shook her head. "I didn't. Tasuki never mentioned his ties with you guys. When I saw him, I just thought that Inuyasha was the most gorgeous and perfect man that I had ever seen. I never really noticed or cared about if he was full demon or human. Well, the claws, hair color, eye color, and ears were kind of a giveaway, but I didn't care. I guess you could say that I liked what I saw the moment I saw him." She giggled. "Besides, I think his ears are totally kawaii."  
  
Sango smiled and giggled too. 'This is totally a love at first sight thing. It's so cute! And her innocence is refreshing. It's so easy to talk with her, and she actually wants to make friends. She is so much better than that Kikyo bitch.'  
  
Little did either girl know, but Inuyasha was right outside the door of the kitchen. He had Miroku by the back of his shirt. Miroku was out cold, and several new lumps and bruises decorated his head. Inuyasha was grinning at what he had heard. 'She likes me, and she doesn't care that I am a hanyou! And she thinks that my ears are cute! Hell yeah!'  
  
At that time, Miroku started to wake up. He groaned as the pain of his head injuries hit him. Inuyasha froze. Looking down, he could see Miroku waking up. Sneaking a glance back into the kitchen, he could see Sango and Kagome looking at the doorway. 'Shit, they heard him!'  
  
Kagome and Sango heard a groan from outside the doorway. They looked at each other, and then back at the doorway. Kagome saw a glint of silver. She smiled wickedly. "Oh Sango, I do believe that there are two boys waiting for us outside of the kitchen."  
  
Sango smiled back. "Why Kagome, I do believe that you are right. AND THOSE TWO BOYS HAD BETTER START RUNNING IF THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR THEM!"  
  
Kagome and Sango heard cursing outside the door followed by the sound of Inuyasha running and dragging Miroku behind him. The two girls stood there and started laughing.  
  
Sango was howling with laughter. Tears were streaming down her face. "I- imagine the mighty Inuyasha running away from two girls!"  
  
Kagome was laughing harder than she had ever done before. "I-I wish I had seen their expressions! Priceless!"  
  
"Oh believe me; they were not as priceless as the ones that will be on your faces in a few minutes."  
  
Both girls froze. They slowly looked up and at the doorway. Inuyasha and a recovered Miroku were standing there, both with evil grins.  
  
Sango looked at Kagome. "This.is not good." The two girls shrieked and ran as the men lunged at them.  
  
And so, at least half of the Youkai gang who lived in the mansion was woken up at 4 am by the shrieks of two girls as they ran around being chased by two laughing men. The chase went through 5 floors, out onto the lawn, and back inside again.  
  
If finally ended when Kagome gave up in the entrance hall and Sango had Miroku pinned to the floor in the living room. There were grumbles as the men and women returned to their rooms, upset by the early and unwanted wake- up.  
  
Inuyasha slipped his arm around Kagome's waist as the two of them walked back up to the 5th floor. Sango and Miroku said good night to them before going into Miroku's room.  
  
Kagome and Inuyasha stood in the hallway. Neither of them was sure of what to do. Kagome would have to leave in the morning for school, but she would not be alone. Sango and Miroku would be there, along with various other members of the Youkais. While Inuyasha couldn't be there, he could have others there to protect her. Inuyasha looked at Kagome.  
  
Kagome looked back at him. He leaned down and gently kissed her. Kagome kissed him back. She started to twist her arms around his neck when he stopped her.  
  
"Mmm, while I really hate to stop, you need to get up in a few hours so that you can go to school. Sango covered for you tonight, but I don't think that the school or your mom would like it if you skipped."  
  
Kagome looked up into his amber eyes. "You're right. And I'm not too sure my mom is going to be thrilled finding out that I'm involved with a gang again, or that I'm dating one of the leaders. Can I come back after school?"  
  
"Kagome babe, you are welcome here anytime. Think of this as your second home, and the gang as your second family."  
  
"I will, Inu-chan, I will."  
  
They kissed again before departing for their separate rooms. Kagome entered hers and shut the door. She could see the night starting to fade outside her window. Reaching up to her neck, she once again felt the reassuring weight of Inuyasha's necklace. She remembered what he had told her after he had caught her. He had pinned her to the wall and kept her there, kissing her all over her face and neck as he talked.  
  
"Kagome, there is a tradition that goes with these necklaces." He dipped his head to her neck and started kissing.  
  
"Oh really?" She shivered as his teeth grazed the skin of her collarbone. No one had ever done that to her before, but she liked it.  
  
Inuyasha smiled as he worked his way up to her face. "Yeah, you see, if a guy gives it to his girl, he carves his name onto it, so that everyone will know that she belongs to him."  
  
"Oh. Since I belong to you now, does that mean that you are going to carve your name into it?" She looked into his eyes as he kissed the tip of her nose.  
  
"Yup. I will get a new one for myself, and carve your name into it. That way, everyone will know that I belong to you."  
  
"You do, don't you." She smiled.  
  
"Yup. You are mine, and I am yours." He smiled back.  
  
"I like the sound of that, Inuyasha."  
  
"So do I, Kags, so do I." Then he sealed her lips with his own and she forgot everything else until they realized that they had an audience of three and a half floors watching them.  
  
Kagome walked over and lay down on the bed. Shutting her eyes, she smiled as she thought of Inuyasha. He had given her the nickname Kags, and she immediately liked it. It made her feel good to once again have someone who loved her enough to call her his own.  
~*~*~  
  
AN: Sorry for not updating in a while, but I've been busy. I'm trying to get a year and a half of college packed into 2 backpacks and 3 suitcases so that I can go back home. And I only have 10 days to do it in! oh the joys of higher education. Actually, this chapter is half of one that was way too big to post all at once. You'll get the other half tomorrow. Anyways, I'll hopefully be updating within the week, before I leave. If I can't, I'll definitely update once I'm home in California.  
  
And I have to say, that I was floored by the number of reviews I got in only a few days. Way more than my other story got. Oh, and KagomeHigurashi66, Ayame makes her debut next time!  
  
Ok, people who I really want to thank for reviewing!! Maritropa EvilBunnies1 jo a ChIbIMiDNiGhT-SaKaI CoLdHeArTeDtEaRz Chibi Children yokokuramasgrl2 Meagan Anime-Luver32 KagomeHigurashi66 shanaka 


	4. Chapter 3

DW: and so I'm back for a third chapter. Or fourth, as the fanfic site may tell you. I would have been back sooner, but I got in a car accident last Friday and then I had surgery two days later. Now, my car is un-drivable and I'm in pain. Oh well, at least I have my Inu-chan to take care of me. (And vicodin.)  
  
Inu: WENCH! Where the hell have you been? You were gone for 2 days! Do you know that your sister tried to torture me while you were away? She kept yelling something about 'death to anime' or something like that. And she kept bringing over some boy who looked kinda like her and taking him into her room. And I wasn't allowed to chase those cats of yours either! Your mom kept squirting me with water and your dad kept glaring at me and mumbling something about me stealing his little girl!  
  
DW: Gomen, Inu-babe. I should have warned you about my sister. She doesn't really like anime characters, even those who are real. Next time she gets on your nerves, just kill her for me or something. The guy is her boyfriend, Andy. My friends and I like to call them the 'love twins', since they look freakishly alike. And you had better not be chasing my cats. If you do, you'll be eating dirt for a week. Just chill about my dad. He gets like that sometimes.  
  
Inu: I can really kill her?  
  
DW: No, you better not. I finally managed to get my parents to trust you and understand about the whole mating thing for the most part. I don't need them knowing that my mate killed off my sister. And as for where I was, I was in the hospital.  
  
Inu: Huh? Why were you in there? You aren't sick are you? Or hurt?  
  
DW: No, I'm all better now, although I have a new respect for the TV show 'ER'. The operation went great, and I should be back to normal in a few weeks. Until then, you get to help me. But I realized that if I didn't keep working on this fic, then I'd go crazy. I hate being bored. I also found out that ice chips, lemon Jell-O, and blueberry muffins taste really good when you haven't eaten in over 12 hours, even when you hate lemon Jell- O and blueberry muffins.  
  
Inu: Next time you get hurt, tell me. I might have been able to help! And don't worry, I'll be here to keep you company and sane. It's my job ya know.  
  
DW: I don't think you would have been able to help, but I will. Now come here. I've missed petting those kawaii ears of yours. And you get to do the disclaimer again.  
  
Inu: *purring* I own DW. She owns the OC's. You know what? Just go read the disclaimer for the last chapter. We're busy right now.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Dawn came too quickly. Kagome was woken up by soft kisses on her forehead, cheeks, and nose. Opening her eyes, she looked into a familiar amber gaze and smiled.  
  
Inuyasha smiled at her. "Ohayo, Kags."  
  
Kagome reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Ohayo, Inu-chan." She yawned and stretched. "What time is it?"  
  
"Almost seven. Sango and Miroku are getting ready. They will be your escorts to school and then home afterwards."  
  
"Ok, but I would rather stay with you."  
  
"I know. Hey, how about this. Tonight, we'll all go out to a club. That is, if your mom will let you."  
  
"I'll ask her. I'm pretty sure that she will say yes, if I tell her that I'm going out with friends that is. I'm not too sure how to explain everything to her yet. Could you pick me up?"  
  
"I'll see what I can do. Now, go get cleaned up. You have to get to school in an hour."  
  
"Hai, Inuyasha."  
  
The two exited her room and Inuyasha showed Kagome where the bathroom was. He waited while she washed up and brushed her hair. She was still in her uniform from the day before, but luckily it was still clean and not badly wrinkled.  
  
30 minutes later, Kagome and Inuyasha made their way down the stairs to breakfast. They held hands as they walked into the kitchen. Kagome recognized Shippou and Kohaku from the night before. They were still in their pajamas. They waved to the couple as they entered the kitchen. Kagome waved back.  
  
Sango and Miroku were there, both in their school uniforms. Kagome recognized some of her classmates who were at Black level, and there were a few Brown and White levels there as well.  
  
All of them looked up as Kagome and Inuyasha entered the room. Sango smiled and said good morning as she handed Kagome a cherry frosted Pop-Tart. Kagome thanked her before starting on the warm cherry goodness wrapped in flaky pastry. The two had become instant best friends the night before, after everything had been explained.  
  
Miroku was manning the toaster, popping Pop-Tarts in and out as more of the teens who went to school came down to breakfast. His right hand and arm were wrapped again with the cloth and rosary beads.  
  
Glancing at the clock, he turned to Kagome and Sango.  
  
"Ladies, it's almost time for us to leave. Grab your gear and be at the car in 5."  
  
Sango and Kagome nodded. Sango left to get hers and Miroku's backpacks. Kagome felt Inuyasha's arms encircle her slim waist from behind as he pulled her into his chest and nuzzled her neck with his chin. He brushed her hair, which she had left down but pulled back out of her eyes, to the side and kissed her neck. "Be careful and be safe. Have Miroku or Sango call if anything happens" he whispered into her ear.  
  
Kagome patted his hands reassuringly, her nails clicking against his claws. "Don't worry Inu-chan. I will. Now, I gotta get to school."  
  
He pulled her back against him, tipping her chin up. Kagome allowed Inuyasha to kiss her before he released her. Kagome smiled over her shoulder as she exited the kitchen, winking a blue eye at the hanyou as she called back, "I love you, Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha froze, feeling butterflies in his stomach and a strange happiness in his heart that had appeared when she had said those four words, along with the smile and wink. This was way better than anything he had ever felt with Kikyo.  
  
Miroku walked over to the stunned Inuyasha and patted his shoulder. He knew what his friend was feeling. "Inuyasha, my man, welcome to the world of true love. It is a wonderful place, one where you get to wake up next to the girl of your dreams and feel all sorts of pleasant and mushy things every time you look at her, talk with her, or be with her. And, I must say, you have a very beautiful girl now. With a really hot body." He smiled lecherously and rubbed his hands together in the same manner.  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at the other boy and growled. "You're sleeping with Sango, Miroku. I'd watch what you say about my Kagome."  
  
"Oh, so she's now yours?"  
  
He nodded, crossing his arms across his chest like a little boy. "Fuck yeah, she is, and that's the way it's going to stay. I'll kill anyone who comes in between us, and that includes perverted best friends. Now get to school before you're all late."  
  
"Yes sir, Inuyasha sir. I shall be quick like the wind." Miroku threw him a mock salute before leaving the kitchen.  
  
"Oh, and Miroku."  
  
Miroku turned in the doorway, his violet eyes looking back at Inuyasha questioningly.  
  
"Watch her for me and keep her safe. I don't want anything to happen to her."  
  
Miroku flashed him a smile. "You have my word. We'll be back after school, and then you lovebirds can go back to cuddling and snuggling to your hearts content."  
  
Miroku had to duck as a Pop-Tart was thrown his way. He expertly caught it before it hit the wall, having ducked many before. He exited the kitchen, munching on the pastry, and walked out the door, to where Kagome and Sango were waiting in Kagome's car. Kagome was in the driver's seat, and Sango was in the front with her.  
  
Miroku leaned onto the passenger door with an elbow, eyeing Sango through the window and smiling at both girls. "Excuse me, o beautiful ones, o goddesses of love and perfection, o angels sent from heaven; I was wondering if you might be willing to give a poor miserable wretch such as myself a ride?"  
  
Kagome giggled and Sango gave him an amused smile. "Get in the back, Houshi. And no touching either of us! You've been good the past few days about groping. Let's see how you do today." Sango said as Miroku climbed into the back.  
  
The drive to school was uneventful. Kagome kept the music pumped and managed to stay under the speed limit. The cd for the trip was Happy 2b Hardcore: Chapter 5. Sango couldn't help but notice how Kagome's body seemed to automatically pick up the rhythm of the songs and move with it. She looked like she was dancing in her seat. They arrived at school and met up with some of the other Youkai members at the gates.  
  
Miroku informed them of the situation and how Kagome was now Inuyasha's girlfriend. She showed them the necklace to prove it. Inuyasha had carved his name into it that morning while she washed up. He was making sure that no one would try to make a move on her. If they did, they were either very brave, very stupid, both, or had a serious death wish.  
  
The day passed slowly. Classes were long and teachers were merciless, and Miroku got in trouble for groping Sango during English, resulting in him having a student-teacher conference during lunch. When lunchtime rolled around, Kagome and Sango waited for Miroku outside of the cafeteria. They were joined by a few more members of the Youkai. All were girls, and they were waiting for their boyfriends or guy friends.  
  
There was Ayame, who was a Green level and Katie, who was a Yellow level. Ayame's necklace was Green and White. Sango explained that Ayame was really a White level in the gang, but her boyfriend, Kouga, was a Green level. That was why she had both colors. Kouga didn't go to school though, since he was 21 and had much bigger responsibilities. He was the leader of the wolf pack that was in the gang, as well as leader of the Green Levels.  
  
Katie's boyfriend, Jake, was a Yellow level like her. He was leader of the Yellows, and a master when it came to martial arts and hand-to-hand combat too. He was actually being considered for a switch to Green level. He was in some of Kagome's classes, but she could not place the name to a face.  
  
There were also a few Black levels in the group; their names were Hikaru, Ami, Sakura, and Tsyua. They were all two grades below the senior girls. The girls realized that they couldn't wait all day for Miroku or the other boys, so they entered the cafeteria without them.  
  
The group of girls got their food and went and sat at a table that would easily fit at least 7 more close to a wall. Kagome noticed that as they walked to the table, they kept getting looks and whistles from various guys. Some were from the gang, and others were just regular guys at the school.  
  
The other girls ignored the cat calls and looks and continued on to their table. They had been through this many times before. Kagome was in the center of the walking group, but she still saw the boys looking her way. It was kind of embarrassing. One boy in particular seemed to have his eyes glued to her, and he was making her a little nervous the way he was staring.  
  
Reaching the table, the girls sat in such a way that Kagome had her back to a wall and that she had Sango on her right and Katie on her left. Ayame sat a space away from Katie. Katie and Sango had left the spots next to them open for Miroku and Jake, for whenever they and the other guys got there. The other girls sat in no particular order, but most followed what Sango and Katie had done and left spaces for their boyfriends or friends to sit.  
  
While they ate, Kagome talked with Sango, Ayame, and Katie. She and the two other girls became best friends too. Kagome grinned inside. She had never had 3 best friends before, but she liked it. She found that Katie went to school on a regular basis, but that Ayame, being a wolf youkai, rarely went. She found it to be boring and too loud most of the time. She was just there that day because her boyfriend was busy, so she had nothing better to do at the mansion.  
  
Both Katie and Ayame were surprised to find out that Kagome had been with Tasuki. They were even more surprised when they learned that she was now with Inuyasha. After Kikyo had betrayed him, he hadn't shown any interest in females of any species. His sudden decision to be with Kagome both puzzled and pleased them. Maybe now he would stop being so moody and aggressive towards everyone.  
  
Miroku and the other guys still hadn't shown up by the time Kagome had finished her lunch. As she rose to throw away her trash, Sango looked up at her. By her expression, Kagome knew that she was asking if she wanted her to go with her.  
  
Kagome shook her head and smiled. She was just going to throw her trash away. Sure, the trash cans were across the room and behind a crowd of students, but Kagome felt that she could handle it. She didn't want to seem dependent on others.  
  
As she walked across the lunch room, she was aware that the members of the Youkai had their eyes on her as she passed. They knew who she was, and who she belonged to. They would be doing their best to keep her safe for their leader.  
  
Kagome had just reached the trash can when a shadow fell across her. Looking up, she found herself looking at the guy who had been staring at her earlier while she walked to the table. He was tall and had messy brown hair and brown eyes. He smiled at her, and Kagome smiled back, thinking that he was just being polite. She turned to leave, but felt his hand grab her upper right arm.  
  
Looking back at him, she politely smiled again and tried to get him to let go.  
  
"Um.would you mind letting go of me? I need to get back to my friends."  
  
The boy smiled again. "I'm sorry. I was just walking by and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Houjo."  
  
"I'm Kagome, and while I hate to be rude, I really would like to get back to my friends now."  
  
Houjo seemed to be oblivious to Kagome's words and discomfort. "Well, Kagome, I think that you're really cute, and I was wondering if you would like to go out with me tonight."  
  
Not liking where the conversation was heading, Kagome tried to twist her arm out of his grasp in a move Tasuki had taught her, but he countered it and only gripped tighter, making her arm feel as though it were being crushed. She cried out from the pain. Desperately, Kagome tried to catch the eye of Sango, Ayame, or Katie, but all were blocked from view by the crowd of the lunch line.  
  
There also seemed to be a crowd of students gathering around the two of them. The crowd was blocking the two of them in around the trash cans, keeping her from signaling for help. Kagome was definitely wishing that she had let Sango go with her.  
  
Kagome tried to stay calm. "Listen, Houjo, I'm sorry, but I'm already seeing someone right now and-"  
  
He cut her off, completely ignoring what she was saying. "Great! I'll pick you up at 8 tonight. What's your address?"  
  
Before Kagome could answer, a deep and cold voice broke in. "Listen asshole, leave her alone. She's already taken, and she isn't interested in you at all. If you would grow some brain cells, you would have figured that out already. Let her go now before you get hurt."  
  
Kagome turned a scared, yet grateful gaze to Miroku, who had finally arrived. She noticed the group of Youkai guys with him. Most of them were Black levels, but there was a few Browns and Whites, and one Yellow. Miroku had a dangerous glint in his narrowed eyes as he stared at Houjo. His wrapped right hand had been curled tightly into a fist.  
  
Houjo's grip tightened on Kagome. She cried out in pain as he squeezed her arm, her knees shaking and threatening to collapse out from under her. The guy had a powerful grip, even through her jacket sleeve, and he was hitting nerves that ran through her entire body now. "Excuse me, but Kagome and I are having a private conversation. It is rude of you all to butt in."  
  
At the sound of her cry, the other men of the gang had stepped forward, wanting to help and protect her. Miroku held out his left arm, keeping them back. He knew that they wanted to defend her, but as long as she was with Houjo, they couldn't risk him hurting her more.  
  
Kagome looked back at Houjo. He had turned a little so that he could face Miroku and the others. It was then that Kagome noticed something that filled her with fear. A certain decoration on Houjo's neck, half hidden by his shirt collar; a small tattoo of a black spider. It was the mark of the Black Spider gang. Her face paled. They had found her. The bastard had found her.  
  
Kagome knew that she had to get away, and so she reacted instinctively, letting what Tasuki had taught her fill her mind and take control of her body.  
  
Ignoring the pain in her arm, she picked up her foot and ground down hard on Houjo's toes with her heel, causing him to loosen his grip on her. She then slammed the elbow of her free arm back into his stomach. His grip loosened even more as he doubled over in pain. A quick twist later and Kagome was free, and she spun around and delivered a powerful snap kick to his side as he fell to the ground in pain. Finished, she stepped back and found herself behind Miroku, surrounded on all sides by Youkai members who were amazed at what she had done.  
  
Kagome clutched her aching arm as she watched Houjo writhing on the floor. He was in obvious pain, but Kagome held no sympathy for him. Moments later, Sango and the girls came running over. They had seen her take out the guy who was now on the floor, but had some trouble getting through the crowd that had formed.  
  
Kagome was still pale from seeing the tattoo. Terror filled her heart as she realized the danger she and her family were now in and she began to tremble. Seeing Sango, she broke through the Youkai guys and ran over to her. Sango instinctively opened her arms and Kagome latched onto her in a fierce embrace, shaking as she cried.  
  
Wrapping her in a tight hug, Sango felt the younger girl trembling and wondered what had set her off. "Kagome, sweetie, what happened? Who is this guy? What did he say and do to you?" She also was amazed at how quickly Kagome had shifted moods; first scared, then kicking ass, then crying.  
  
Kagome said something, but it was muffled by Sango's jacket. Sango asked again. Kagome didn't answer this time. A shout was heard by the girls. Looking over, they saw Houjo get up and take off running out of the cafeteria, still clutching his side. None of the Youkai gave chase. They were too concerned with seeing if Kagome was ok.  
  
Miroku looked over at Sango, a question in his eyes. Sango nodded her head above Kagome's, answering him. Even though the girl had not released her grip, Sango could tell that she had calmed down somewhat. Sango gently pushed Kagome away so that she could look into her face. Miroku was giving orders to the other members, but even he could see the fear and terror present in Kagome's blue-gray eyes.  
  
Sango asked her again. "Kagome, who was that guy and what did he want?"  
  
This time, Kagome answered clearly, though she kept stuttering as she sobbed. "H-he said that his name was Houjo. He wanted me to go out with him. H-he kept squeezing my arm and he wouldn't let me go, even when I tried to pull away! And then- and then I saw it! On his neck!" Kagome started crying again. Sango looked over at Miroku and gave him a get- Inuyasha-on-the-phone-now look. He took the hint and got out his cell.  
  
Inuyasha answered immediately.  
  
"Miroku, what's wrong? What's happened?"  
  
Miroku tried to keep his voice cheerful. "Damn, Inuyasha. How did you know that it's me?"  
  
Inuyasha wasn't fooled, but he went along with it. "Baka, I have all of your guy's numbers programmed to different ring tones. Trust me, I can tell when it's you. I gave you that 'Thong Song' by Sisqo. It reminds me of you and your lecherous brain. Now cut the crap and tell me, what's happened with Kagome?"  
  
Miroku sighed. His false cheerfulness had been discovered. "Kagome got.well, for lack of a better word, confronted and attacked in the cafeteria a few minutes ago. Some ass asked her out and wouldn't let her get away when she declined. Me and some of the guys managed to get there in time to stop him from further harming her, but he still wouldn't let her go, until she made him."  
  
He laughed slightly, remembering the look on Houjo's face when Kagome hit him. "You should have seen it, Inu. Kagome whipped out some kind of self- defense shit and took him out in under 7 seconds when he wouldn't let her go. The guy was on the floor and looked like he was going to cry!"  
  
He became serious again. "But she's pretty messed up emotionally. She's clinging to Sango and she won't stop crying or shaking. The bastard hurt her arm when he grabbed her and kept squeezing."  
  
Growling, the hanyou just said "Put her on." Inuyasha tried to stay calm. He was impressed with what Miroku had said about Kagome's defending herself. Tasuki had apparently taught her very well. Under 7 seconds.she was fast, that was for sure.  
  
Miroku turned to Sango. "He wants to talk with her."  
  
Sango gently pushed Kagome away again. "Kagome-chan, Inuyasha wants to talk to you. Will you let go so that you can talk on the phone?"  
  
Kagome nodded, sniffing, and let go of Sango. She still seemed shaken as she accepted the phone from Miroku.  
  
"Inu-chan?"  
  
Inuyasha let the worry he had been feeling take over. "Kags, are you ok? Did he hurt you at all, baby?"  
  
She felt relief flood over her at the sound of his voice. "He squeezed my arm. It hurts. I think I might have a bruise."  
  
There was a growl on the other end, and then "Are you ok otherwise? Nothing else wrong?"  
  
Kagome paused before speaking. It was better to tell him. He could help her. He would keep her safe. She started crying again. "No. No, I'm not ok. They've found me! Inuyasha, they've found me! That guy, that Houjo guy had the tattoo! A black spider on his neck and now Naraku knows that I'm back and he's going to come after me and kill me, or worse!" Kagome sobbed.  
  
Inuyasha could hear the fear in her voice over the phone. She seemed to believe that there was something worse than being killed by Naraku's hand. He kept the questions that popped up to himself. He would ask her later, when she was calmer.  
  
"Listen, Kags, I'm coming to the school now. Ok babe? Is that Joujo guy anywhere around you right now?"  
  
She shook her head, not caring that he couldn't see the movement. "No, he left. He ran outside after I kicked him. He was on the floor, but then he got up and ran away."  
  
Inuyasha sighed in relief. He was still angry. He wanted to get this Homo guy himself. "Ok, that's good, sweetie. Listen; stay close with Miroku and Sango. And if Ayame, Katie and Jake are there, stick with them too. I'll be there in a few minutes, love."  
  
"Ok. I will."  
  
"Ok, pass me back to Miroku."  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Kags, I love you. I'll be right there I promise. I won't let him get you."  
  
"Ok. I love you too, Inu-chan."  
  
With that, Kagome passed the phone back to Miroku. She allowed herself to be surrounded by her fellow members. They had heard what she had said. They were amazed that a Black Spider had gotten through their observations so easily. And even more amazed that a Black Spider actually went to school.  
  
Inuyasha spoke quickly. He was already running out the door. "Listen Miroku, I'm on my way over right now. I have the feeling that Kagome isn't gonna want to stick out the rest of the day. If I'm right, then I'm going to take her home and explain everything to her mom. I'm gonna see if Kagome can live with us at the mansion. It will be a lot safer for her to be with us than at her home if Naraku is around and after her."  
  
"Sure thing.Inu-chan."  
  
Inuyasha growled over the phone. "Shut the hell up with the Inu-chan bit! Only Kagome can call me that. Now, I want you, Sango, Katie, Ayame, and Jake to keep a close watch on her until I get there. Send out some Black levels to see if that Hoko guy is around. Inform the rest of the members that Naraku might know that she's with us, and that he might attack."  
  
"Gotcha, boss. Listen, going to a different subject here, are we still going out tonight?"  
  
There was a pause, followed by what sounded like a laugh. "Miroku, I'm sorry, but you're just not my type, and I'm with Kagome now. Besides, aren't you already going out with Sango?"  
  
Miroku chuckled, realizing he left himself open for that. "You know what I meant."  
  
"It's gonna depend on how Kagome feels. I just want her with me tonight. IF we do go out, we're going someplace within or close by to our territory. I don't want anything else scaring her right now."  
  
"Ok."  
  
"I'll be there in a few. I'm on my way now."  
  
"Later boss."  
  
Miroku turned to the others and began relaying the orders. 10 Black levels were sent out in pairs to check out the school and its grounds. Miroku told the rest of the members that were there the news. He then told Ayame, Katie, Sango, Jake, and Kagome that Inuyasha wanted them in front of the school for when he got there. Jake and Katie ran back to the lunch table and got everyone's backpacks.  
  
The group went out to the front of the school. The bell that ended lunch had rung about 10 minutes before. No one's mind was on school though. They were all trying to figure out how a Black Spider had gotten so close to Kagome without their knowledge. She had said that the tattoo was on his neck, so he most likely hid it with his collar and maybe make-up. It was an unsettling discovery.  
  
Inuyasha arrived after a few minutes. He was dressed in baggy black jeans, a red shirt, black jacket, and red Vans. He ran up to the gates and Kagome rushed into his arms, taking comfort in the feel of them wrapping around her. He held her as she just cried; letting out all the fear and terror she had been keeping inside. He rubbed her back and stroked her hair, all the while whispering comforting words into her ears.  
  
Miroku and the others just watched from a distance as he calmed her down and started kissing her. Kagome let him gently kiss his way down her face and neck, and then back up to her lips. He growled as he caught the scent of Houjo on her. He would fix that later, when they were alone. Remembering her hurt arm, he gently pushed her away so that he could examine it.  
  
Kagome removed her jacket. Miroku and the others approached at this time, sensing that it was safe. No one had wanted to interrupt Inuyasha while he was busy with Kagome. They knew that his demon half could have reacted in a very violent way if he thought that they were getting to close to the crying girl. It was his instinct to protect her, and it sometimes had trouble telling friend from foe in the past.  
  
Sango gasped at the sight of the bruise forming on Kagome's upper arm already. It was a dark purplish-blue and black band that went around her entire arm. Each of her attacker's individual finger imprints could be seen in the bruise. That Houjo guy was stronger than he looked!  
  
Inuyasha growled again and bared his fangs at the bruise, as if trying to scare it away. He gently felt her arm to see if anything else was hurt. Feeling nothing wrong, he pulled Kagome close, wrapping his arms around her waist and putting her back against his chest. She backed in closer, almost as if she were trying to become one with him.  
  
He pulled his open jacket around her, creating a cocoon that let her absorb the heat he was giving off. He breathed in her scent, letting it calm him. Finding out about the attack had made him worry the entire time he was running over there. He had almost lost his cool a few times, wanting to go full demon so that he could take out the bastard who hurt his Kagome.  
  
Resting his chin on her head, which barely made it to his shoulders, he looked at Miroku. "Did you send out the Black levels?"  
  
Miroku nodded. "Yeah, and I also informed everyone else who were there. They are going to keep a sharp eye out for this guy, and also they are going to start paying better attention to the other students around us."  
  
Inuyasha nodded and turned his attention to the other male teenager, Jake. Jake was the gang's expert at hand-to-hand combat and martial arts of all kinds. He was the best after Tasuki, while he had still been alive, and Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. "Jake, did he seem like he was trained well?"  
  
Jake remembered the bruise on Kagome's arm, which was inside Inuyasha's jacket at the moment. "Well, he didn't put up much of a fight, but the mark he left on Kagome there tells me that he's a lot stronger than he looks. He might possibly know some stuff on pressure points too, from the way he was making her cry. Kagome was the one who took him down, so I really don't know how good of a fighter he is."  
  
Looking at Kagome, Jake smiled. "Those were some kick-ass reflexes there. You had him on the ground in about 6 seconds. Not bad. You must be Tasuki's old girl. He's the only human in the gang I know, and everywhere else that I can think of, who could move that fast."  
  
Kagome sniffed and nodded. "Yeah. He trained me so that I could defend myself in case Naraku ever tried something. He wanted to make sure that I was safe at all times. I just never brought myself to using it before." 'Except for when I got away from all of them the first time.'  
  
Inuyasha turned his attention to Kagome now. "Kags, I need to know. Do you want to finish the day at school? I can take you home if you want. We're gonna need to tell your mom the situation anyways, and set up a way for you and your family to be safe."  
  
Kagome twisted herself in his arms so that she was facing him again. She buried her face in his chest. "As much as I want to finish the day off, I'm still scared. I don't know if Houjo or anyone else from the Spiders is still here. I think I'll go home. We can tell my mom everything that has happened. Plus, there was something that I wanted to ask her, concerning all of this. And she doesn't know about you and me being together yet either."  
  
Inuyasha nodded. He got Kagome's backpack from Katie. "You guys go back to class. Tell everyone that there is going to be a meeting at the mansion after school. Spread the word."  
  
As the others nodded, Inuyasha released Kagome from his arms and turned around. Kneeling down, he looked over his shoulder. "Get on, sweetheart. This is a much quicker way to travel."  
  
Kagome looked at him. "But what about my car?"  
  
Sango stepped up. "I'll take it back to the mansion. We can either drop it by your house later tonight or you can have Inuyasha bring you back to pick it up."  
  
Slipping her jacket back on, Kagome nodded and gave Sango the keys. She then walked back over to Inuyasha and climbed up on his back. He hooked his hands around and under her thighs, and Kagome wrapped her arms securely around his neck, making sure that she wouldn't fall off.  
  
As soon as she was secure, Inuyasha leapt off of the ground and into the air. Kagome gasped as they flew through the air. Inuyasha landed on a nearby roof and immediately took off again. Landing again, he paused long enough for Kagome to tell him the general direction of her house and the street address.  
  
They flew together through the city. Inuyasha used buildings and trees as springboards to launch him and Kagome through the air. Kagome shrieked with laughter each time they raised into the air. The movement caused a tickle feeling in her stomach, and it made her laugh. Their hair flew back with the wind, tangling together in a silver and black stream.  
  
People on the streets stopped to stare up at the red and blue blob that streaked across the sky. The flying journey through downtown Tokyo took Kagome's mind off of what had happened earlier. She was too absorbed with the sensation that she was flying and free.  
  
Inuyasha had been hoping that would happen. She needed something to pick her mood up after what had happened. Unfortunately, all fun times had to end at some point, and theirs ended as Inuyasha reached her street.  
  
They landed in front of Kagome's house a few moments later. Kagome climbed off of Inuyasha's back and he took her hand as they walked up to the front door. At the sound of the door opening, Kagome's mother looked out of the kitchen.  
  
"Kagome? Why are you home? Did something happen at school?" She saw Inuyasha holding hands with Kagome. "Kagome, who is this young man?"  
  
"Mom, this is Inuyasha. He is one of the leaders of the Youkai gang. They are the rivals of the Black Spiders. And.he's my new boyfriend."  
  
Kagome's mom frowned. She was both puzzled and shocked by this new information. "But, honey, I thought that the Youkai gang killed Tasuki. That's what you were told, wasn't it?"  
  
Kagome shook her head. Her mom was just as confused as she had been at first. "No, it was really Naraku, the leader of the Spiders. Tasuki was really a member of the Youkai. He was spying on the Spiders for the Youkai when he met me. He was planning on taking me to the Youkai the night that he was killed. Inuyasha, in respecting Tasuki's last wishes, made me a member and is taking care of me. He's protecting me, and you guys too, from Naraku."  
  
She smiled up at Inuyasha and squeezed his hand. "And, I guess you can see that we've turned it into something more than just a protecting relationship." He smiled back down at her.  
  
Her smile faded into a more serious face and she looked at her mom. "This brings me to why I am here, instead of in class. I was attacked at school today by a member of the Black Spiders. Now, I'm afraid that they will come after us here at the house. We're in neutral territory here, which means that either side can come here and not be trespassing. This is why.I need to ask you something mama."  
  
Kagome's mom had been frightened when she heard that her daughter had been attacked. But the thought of the Black Spiders coming after the family in their own home was even more frightening. She tried to stay calm and not faint. "Sure thing, honey. What is it?"  
  
Kagome took a deep breath before continuing. This was hard on her. "I wanted to know if I could live with Inuyasha at the Youkai mansion. I'll be safer there." She paused before continuing. "Also, I wanted to know if you could take Souta and go back to Aunt Gemma's for a while. Just until this whole thing is over. I don't want anything happening to you or Souta."  
  
Kagome's mother stayed silent. She seemed to be thinking about it. Finally, she spoke again. "As much as I don't want to say yes, I feel as though I have no choice. If it means that our family will be protected, then I give you my permission to move in with Inuyasha. I will tell Souta when he gets home from school, and I shall call your aunt. If that doesn't work out, then we will go and move in with your grandfather at the family shrine."  
  
Kagome's mom walked over and gave her daughter a hug. "I just want you to be safe and happy, my love."  
  
Kagome hugged her mother back. "Being with Inuyasha makes me feel safe and happy. I love him mom. I didn't think that I would love anyone after Tasuki, but when I met Inuyasha, I fell for him the instant I saw him."  
  
Kagome's mom walked over to Inuyasha next. "Young man, please take care of my daughter. She has been through so much pain. I don't want to see her hurt anymore."  
  
Inuyasha nodded. "Ma'am, I promise that I will protect her life with my own. I love her, and I would die for her."  
  
Kagome's mother nodded, and then pulled him into a hug. Inuyasha was surprised. Her mom whispered into his ear, "She truly loves you. She loved Tasuki, but never this much. You are her true soul mate. I'm a mother, I can tell. Take care of her for me."  
  
Inuyasha just nodded, digesting what had been said. Kagome reached for his hand. "Come on, Inu-chan. We need to get my stuff." He allowed himself to be led up the stairs to her room.  
  
In her room, Kagome proceeded to pack her life back into her bags. Stuffed animals, clothes, books, posters, pictures, jewelry, and other things all wound up in 4 suitcases, two large boxes, and 2 backpacks, one of which seemed to magically expand to about 5 times its normal size. Looking at it all, Kagome realized that she should have brought her car.  
  
Inuyasha told her that they didn't need it. He whipped out his cell phone and punched in a number. He spoke with someone on the other end and gave them her address. Ending the call, he saw Kagome staring at her empty room. Walking over to her, he pulled her close to him.  
  
"Love, it's for the best. I know you don't want to do this, but it's the only way I know of to keep you and your family safe. And, if you hadn't asked your mom, I was going to ask her for you. I want to keep you safe, and at the mansion, you will be safe with me. And I'll make sure that your family is kept safe as well."  
  
Kagome only nodded. She knew that he was right. They stayed together, waiting until they heard a car honking its horn from outside the house. Inuyasha nuzzled her head. "That's our ride."  
  
Grabbing two of her suitcases, he went downstairs. Kagome followed with the smaller of the two backpacks, dragging it behind her. Her mother followed them outside, carrying one of her boxes, to where Nobunaga and Midoriko were waiting next to a black Escalade.  
  
They loaded all of her belongings into the back of the car, Inuyasha having to go back upstairs and get the rest of her bags, the box, and the larger backpack. Kagome gave her mother one last hug and kiss, and promised to call that night, to see what the plans were.  
  
Kagome allowed Inuyasha to gently pull her into the car. She stayed silent the entire drive to the mansion, but Inuyasha smelled the salt of her tears as she looked out the window. It mixed with her natural scent. He reached around her and pulled her close, letting her head rest on his shoulder. He knew that leaving her family hurt, but it was for the best. He would make it up to her somehow.  
  
Midoriko and Nobunaga looked at each other up in the front of the car. They had heard what had happened. The Black Spiders had attacked Inuyasha's girl. And they both knew what that meant. It was total war now.  
~*~*~ Sorry for not updating like I said I would. Finals week has snuck up on me, and while I only have 2, they are much important. Anyways, you can expect a greater consistency of updating from me once I'm back home.  
  
Ok, people who I really want to thank for reviewing!! Maritropa  
  
EvilBunnies1  
  
jo  
  
a  
  
ChIbIMiDNiGhT-SaKaI  
  
CoLdHeArTeDtEaRz  
  
Chibi Children  
  
yokokuramasgrl2  
  
Meagan  
  
Anime-Luver32  
  
KagomeHigurashi66  
  
shanaka  
  
And a really big thank you to  
  
lavenderrose98  
  
and is also the first one to talk to me online! This chapter's for you! 


	5. Chapter 4

DW: well, I guess I have only one thing to say at this point. I'M SO SORRY!!!! It took me forever to get my new power cord, and I have to save everything and move it to the family computer, which is so screwed up that it should be chucked out a window, and then my parents found out about my grades, and then I had to start making plans for my new college. I switched and moved back to California, for those of you who don't know. But, because I am sorry to you all, I made this chapter a long one. 28 pages in total.  
  
Inu: Sheesh, are you still apologizing? Give it a rest, you had perfectly good excuses.  
  
DW: Oh shut up. I told them that it would only take me a week, and it's been practically a month. Don't make me come over there and smack you.  
  
Inu: You, the gimp, are gonna come over here and smack me? I think you have forgotten that I'm holding your crutches here, mate.  
  
DW: Oh for the love of anime. Will you stop teasing me for that? It's bad enough that my sister calls me that. I don't need you doing it too.  
  
Inu: Nope. It's not everyday that my mate slips off a stepladder and 'hurts' herself.  
  
DW: Hey, some sympathy would be appreciated, you ungrateful dog. And it was a ladder, not a step ladder that I slipped and fell off of. I ended up tearing a ligament in my ankle, you baka. It really hurts!  
  
Inu: I still think you were overreacting. I certainly wouldn't have complained that much if it happened to me.  
  
DW: How about this little bit of info, Inu-Yasha. You are a hanyou! You heal like 6 times faster than me! Besides, I happen to know that you were certainly doing more than your share of overreacting when my parents took me to the emergency room. I mean, for one being so 'tough', you sure were acting like you were the one in pain and not me.  
  
Inu: Keh!  
  
DW: I think that means that I won. Anyways, I do not own anything of Inuyasha except for the contradicting puppy that I'm mated too. Enjoy the story, and once again, I am so sorry!  
  
~~~  
  
They reached the mansion and got Kagome's things up to her new room. It was still the one across the hall from his. After making sure that she would be ok, Inuyasha left her to get situated. He said something about going to talk with his brother about the incident, and planning the after school meeting.  
  
Kagome looked around her new room. It was much larger than the one she had at her old house. She walked over and pulled the drapes away from the large windows. Tying the drapes back, she shielded her eyes. Sunlight came pouring in, and when she opened the window, fresh air eased the stuffiness.  
  
Her room was revealed as having a mostly blue and silver color scheme. 'Wow, it's like this room was made for me. It's been done in two of my favorite colors.' Smiling, she got to work.  
  
The first thing she did was unpack her clothes and putting them in the large closet and dresser. She then changed out of her school uniform and into a pair of low waist denim capris that flared a little bit at the bottoms and a tight fitting gray sleeveless hooded shirt that set off her eyes, making them seem more blue than gray.  
  
She slipped out of her school shoes and socks and put on a pair of silver and blue Sketchers. She left her necklace on. Inuyasha had told her never to take it off. Her shirt didn't go down to or cover all of her waist, so her belly button was exposed. The blue and silver hoop that was pierced through her navel shone in the sunlight.  
  
She pulled her hair back into a twisted ponytail bun and fastened it with a clip, letting the ends flair out on top and go down her neck to her shoulders. She looked in the mirror one more time and then tackled her next job; getting her stereo out of its large box and set up on her dresser.  
  
It took another hour and a half, but she was finally happy with the results. Her posters had been tacked up and her pictures were on her desk and nightstand. Her laptop was connected to the internet and was on her desk, next to her stack of school books. Her blue cordless phone was on the nightstand as well.  
  
She had her clothes and shoes put away, and her stuffed animals were on her bed amongst her pillows. She smiled at her favorite one, a stuffed white dog with yellow eyes. Coincidentally, its name was Inu-chan. Ever since her dad had died; she had slept with it as a security against nightmares.  
  
Looking at her alarm clock, she saw that it was almost time for school to be getting out.  
  
A wave of tiredness hit her. She had been working for over two hours, and the stress of the day was hitting her. Kagome decided to put on some music and take a nap. Looking at all of her cd's, she decided on a burnt disc of a bunch of anime theme songs that she had downloaded.  
  
Popping it in and pressing play, she walked over and flopped down on her bed. Grabbing Inu-chan, she curled up into a ball in the middle of the blue and silver comforter, exhausted. Within moments, she had fallen asleep to the song White Destiny from Pretear.  
~~~  
  
Miroku and Sango pulled up in Kagome's car. They had spent a little time after school telling the various members of the gang about the meeting at the mansion. They watched now as the members arrived in cars, on bikes, roller blades and skateboards, or by walking. Everyone saw the strange car and went over to check it out as they walked towards the mansion.  
  
Miroku told them to back off because it belonged to Inuyasha's woman. That got the attention of many of the older members who didn't live in the mansion. Since when had Inuyasha taken Kikyo back? Hadn't he sworn that the next time she crossed his path, he'd kill the whore for betraying him? He couldn't possibly have a new one. He hadn't shown any interest in women after Kikyo. What was going on?  
  
Miroku said nothing. He had already told those who knew of Kagome to keep their mouths shut. Inuyasha was planning on introducing her to the entire gang during the meeting.  
  
After entering the house, Sango decided to change her clothes before the meeting. As she reached the fifth floor, she heard music coming from the room across the hall from Inuyasha's. Curious, she went to investigate.  
  
Peeking in the door, she smiled. Kagome was asleep in street clothes on her bed, holding onto a white stuffed dog. The room was full of her stuff and her posters decorated the walls. 'Well, I guess that he got her to move in here. She'll be a lot safer here where Inu can keep a close eye on her. She looks so peaceful like that. I think I'll let her sleep. If Inuyasha needs her, he'll come for her.' Kagome shifted in her sleep, mumbling what sounded like Inuyasha's name. Sango held back a giggle. 'Even in her sleep, she thinks about him. How cute!'  
  
Sango quietly closed the door and made her way to her own room, which was right next door to Kagome's. It was also across the hall from Miroku's. Sango quickly shed her uniform and pulled on a pair of loose khaki cargo pants and a pink shirt, and pink flip-flops. She exited her room and saw that Miroku had decided to change as well.  
  
Miroku was in black jeans and a purple sleeveless shirt that showed off his arm muscles, along with black boots. He had taken off the arm wrap to reveal a number of tattoos on his right arm below the elbow.  
  
They were just a bunch of designs that he had seen or drawn in his free time, and had gotten tattooed permanently on his arm by a place in town. One tattoo was his family name, Houshi, and the largest tattoo was of an ancient Buddhist monk's staff that went from elbow to wrist on his forearm. He also had a tattoo of Sango's name on his forearm. It had a twin higher up on his body.  
  
The strangest one was a dark circle in the center of his palm and one on the back of his hand. The two circles formed the illusion of a dark hole that seemed to go through his hand. It was a symbol of his ancestors past, when the men of his family had been monks. It was quite a sad story of a curse that had formed Wind Tunnel in the center of the hand. The Tunnel had devoured the men of his family and was passed down from father to son. It had finally been broken after a few generations.  
  
Miroku had the tattoo done in memory of his ancestors. He kept the purple arm wrap on while outside the mansion and while not doing gang business so that he wouldn't expose any of his tattoos to anyone outside of the Youkai. Some of the other tattoos were quite disturbing to look at, not to mention that they made him very easy to identify.  
  
Katie and Jake met the two on the landing between the 5th and 4th floors. Katie was dressed in a short jean skirt and a yellow baby t-shirt. She wore white sneakers and had her long curly brown hair in a French braid. Her greenish brown eyes were accented with pale yellow eye shadow.  
  
Jake had his short brown hair spiked as usual. His green eyes were bright and cheerful. He wore a black shirt that had the band Korn on it, and loose blue jeans. He had on black sneakers.  
  
The four walked down the stairs, encountering various gang members as they either went to or left their rooms and floors. The meeting was taking place in the mansion's basement, which also served as a training room. It was the only place large enough to hold them all at one time.  
  
As they reached the basement, they saw Inuyasha and his older half brother, Sesshomaru. The two were talking while waiting for everyone to get there.  
  
Inuyasha looked up as he smelled Sango and Miroku enter the room. He waved them over. Leaving Katie and Jake to find seats in their section, they walked over to Inuyasha.  
  
"What's up, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked.  
  
"Just waiting to get this thing started. Have either of you seen Kagome?" He questioned.  
  
Sango nodded. "Yeah, I saw her. She's upstairs sleeping. Her room looks good though. How'd you manage to convince her to move in here?"  
  
The half demon shook his head. "Didn't have to. She brought the idea up to her mom when I took her home. She's also having her mom and little brother move back with either her aunt or her grandpa. She doesn't want them to get hurt in case Naraku discovers where they live."  
  
Miroku nodded at this. "That's smart. But it must be tough on her. If you think about it, we're all the family she has left now, since she can't go and see them."  
  
Inuyasha nodded, ears drooping and his face taking on a slight sad appearance. "Yeah, she was crying when we left her house. But I'm hoping that she's better now. I hate it when she cries."  
  
His expression grew brighter a moment later. "Will you go get her for me Sango? The meeting is about to start and I don't want her to miss it. It's going to cover what happened today, along with some other stuff, plus I'm introducing her to the rest of the Youkai."  
  
Sango nodded. "Sure thing, Inu. I'll go get her."  
  
Sango left the basement and walked back up the stairs. As she reached Kagome's door, she recognized the song 'Automatic' by Utada Hikaru playing inside. It wasn't exactly an anime song, but it was nice and slow, perfect for dancing, grinding, or sleeping.  
  
Opening the door, she saw that Kagome was still sleeping. She walked over and gently shook the younger girl. "Kagome-chan, wake up. Inuyasha has called a meeting. We need to go. Wake up!"  
  
Kagome slowly opened her eyes, letting them focus on the hazy blob standing in front of her. Yawning, she realized that someone had been talking to her. "Huh? Oh, it's you Sango. What did you want?" She uncurled and stretched her slim body, arching her back and letting her muscles uncramp and joints pop. Her movements were graceful, even though she was still half asleep.  
  
Sango smiled at her friend. "Inuyasha wanted me to wake you up. We're about to have a meeting, and all members need to be there. Come on."  
  
Yawning still, Kagome got up and brushed her hair, putting it back in the twisted ponytail bun when she was done. She made sure that she looked ok before she saw Inuyasha. The shirt that she was wearing exposed the bandage that was wrapped around her bruised arm. It still hurt, but she had taken some Tylenol earlier and rubbed some bruise cream on it, and it was helping. Right before she left, she shut off the music.  
  
The two girls walked down the stairs and onto the ground floor. Sango showed Kagome where the door and stairs to the basement were. As they walked down them, they could hear Inuyasha and Sesshomaru speaking. The meeting had started already.  
  
They quietly slipped into the room. Kagome gasped silently as she saw the number of members in the Youkai gang. There had to be at least a hundred people, both human and demon, there. Sango took her by the hand and led her towards the front, where Kagome could see the higher ranking members were sitting.  
  
As they made their way towards the front, they got looks and glances from the other members. Kagome noticed that some of them started whispering as they saw her. Most of them were Black, White, and Brown levels, and they were all either younger, older, or the same ages as either girl. She thought that she caught the name 'Kikyo' spoken a few times in her direction.  
  
Inuyasha looked over as two new scents entered the room and began to mix with the others. One was Sango; she always smelt of sakura blossoms and peaches. Kagome's scent of jasmine blossoms and roses was the one he was interested in. He smiled as he saw she and Sango walk in and head towards the front.  
  
Kagome's arm was bandaged, so her bruise wasn't showing. And she still had a sleepy look in her eyes. The look, combined with her skin revealing outfit, made her look extremely sexy to the half-demon. He could see that she had a pierced belly button; that was something he hadn't known. It attracted attention to her slim waist and toned belly.  
  
Thoughts of what he wanted to do to and with Kagome flitted through his head before he realized that he was standing in front of a room full of people, who were all looking at him as his eyes started to glaze over.  
  
Sighing, he cleared his mind of the images and looked at the two approaching girls. Kagome smiled at him, blew him a kiss, and winked. Blushing slightly, he smiled back and motioned with his head that they should come up to the front and stand with Miroku. Miroku was standing off to the side from the youkai brothers, leaning against the wall. He smiled and nodded at the two approaching girls.  
  
There were three chairs next to Miroku; one for Sango, one for Kagome, and the third chair was occupied by a woman who Kagome hadn't seen before. She had long dark brown hair that was pulled into a half pony tail at the top of her head and warm brown eyes that sparkled. She was wearing a short sleeve lavender button-up blouse and a short white skirt, along with white canvas shoes. Around her neck was a blue Youkai Tribal necklace. Kagome glanced over at Sesshomaru. He was wearing a blue necklace too. 'That must be his girlfriend then.' Kagome thought to herself.  
  
They both sat down and listened to Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. The older of the two brothers was talking at the moment. Kagome phased out what he was saying and took the time to study him.  
  
He had the same skin coloring as Inuyasha, the same long silver hair, but his eyes were more gold than amber. And his eyes seemed colder, and he had two red streaks on each of his cheeks, and a dark blue crescent moon in the center of his forehead. He had claws and fangs, just like his brother. His ears looked like human ears, except that they were pointed, and the rest of his features had a sort of feminine look to them. He was full youkai, she could definitely tell that.  
  
Kagome decided that she liked the look of Inuyasha much better than his brother. She preferred the cute dog ears over the pointed ones. She turned her attention back to the meeting. Sesshomaru had finished speaking and now Inuyasha was bringing up the subject of what had happened at school.  
  
"For all of you who haven't heard, two days ago, we located the former girlfriend of our dead member, Awajima Tasuki. Higuraishi Kagome has joined us now, and is under my direct protection."  
  
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if daring anyone to speak up against what he was going to say next. "And for those of you who don't already know or have been told, she is now my woman."  
  
A low drone of whispering started as the Youkai gang took in the sight of the girl. She looked a lot like Kikyo, but was a lot prettier and less skanky. She also seemed to be much younger and smaller than Kikyo. She dressed better as well, and the demons in the room noticed that her scent was much more pleasant to the nose.  
  
Kagome blushed as all eyes in the room fell on her. She was wearing Inuyasha's necklace, so everyone could tell who she was, no matter how she tried to blend in. She lowered her head and turned it to once again look at Inuyasha. She glared at him. She hated being embarrassed. He was going to get it later for that.  
  
He saw the look in her eye. 'Looks like I'm going to get it later for that.' He brushed the thought aside and continued. "Kagome just moved back here after spending a year in Fujita. Her mother moved her family away the day after Tasuki died for fear that they would be attacked. We were afraid that if Naraku heard that she was back, he would try to kill her and her family in retribution for what Tasuki did. Unfortunately, this seems to already be happening."  
  
"Earlier today, she was attacked at school by a boy who tried to ask her out. It turns out that this boy, known only to us as 'Houjo', is a member of the Black Spiders. Kagome identified him by his black spider tattoo on his neck during her attack. She was the one who took him down, but afterwards he escaped and his whereabouts are unknown."  
  
"After today, Kagome has decided to live here with us in the mansion for her own protection, and also so that her family will no longer be directly threatened. Just in case, her family has also gone into hiding until we deem it safe."  
  
Inuyasha looked out over the gang. "I want all of you to keep a sharp eye out for any kind of Spider activity near our boarders and in the neutral zones. Naraku knows that she's with us, and will be trying hard to get to her. If any of you are with Kagome at anytime, I want you all to protect her from harm at all costs. She now wears the Red. That's all I have to say."  
  
Sesshomaru closed the meeting with some final words and dismissed the rest of the gang. The two brothers walked over to where Miroku stood. The man had been acting like a silent guard over the three women, protecting them from any danger that may have occurred. They were after all the three most important females in the gang, since they could be used against the leaders if they were captured or harmed in any way. In times of danger, it would be his responsibility to get the three girls to safety.  
  
Kagome stood and let Inuyasha envelope her in a possessive embrace, his hands gripping the naked skin of her exposed waist as he pulled her close. Kagome smiled and placed her hands on his biceps and kissed him.  
  
Inuyasha returned the kiss, and licked her lower lip. Kagome got the hint and allowed him entrance into her mouth. He gently explored her mouth with his tongue, tasting her as he went. He had been wanting to do that to her since she had walked into the room.  
  
While they were kissing, Miroku walked over and hugged Sango also, kissing her on the cheek. She stiffened as she felt one of his hands going south. Slightly irritated, she said, "Miroku, do you like your hand?"  
  
Miroku calmly answered her. An innocent smile crossed his features. He knew what was coming, but to him, it was worth it. "Yes, Sango dear."  
  
Sango clenched her teeth and made a fist, a vein popping out on her forehead. "Then I highly suggest you move it."  
  
Miroku played innocent as he continued to feel her up. "I don't know what you mean, my love." He gave her ass an affectionate squeeze and prepared himself for the inevitable.  
  
SMACK!  
  
"Hentai!" Sango yelled as she whacked Miroku upside the head. Kagome and Inuyasha broke from their kiss in time to see Miroku hit the ground and Sango lower her fist. Sesshomaru looked on in cold, yet amused interest. He held his hand out and the woman who had been sitting with them stood and took it.  
  
Inuyasha saw Kagome staring at the other girl. "Kagome, allow me to introduce you to Rin. She is my brother's girlfriend. Rin, this is Kagome."  
  
Rin smiled at Kagome. She bowed her head at her in greeting. "Hello Kagome. Welcome to the Youkai. I hope you are happy here. If you'd like, you can think of us as your second family, since you are no longer able to go back to your own for the time being."  
  
Kagome smiled back at Rin from the enclosure of Inuyasha's arms. She bowed her head in return. "Arigato, Rin. I hope that I like it here. I do so far. I just managed to get my stuff moved in, and I ended up falling asleep before the meeting."  
  
Inuyasha looked down at Kagome. "I want to see your room. Knowing you, it's probably cute and very you. Afterwards, I'll give you a tour of the mansion and show you all the areas that you can and can't go into. Since you belong to me, you can practically go everywhere, but there are some places that I don't want you going near."  
  
Kagome smiled up at him. "I would like that, Inu-chan. I was going to ask you about that earlier, but I was busy and I couldn't find you, and then I fell asleep."  
  
"Yeah, I had to go find Sessh so that we could discuss the meeting."  
  
Kagome gave him another dazzling smile as she remembered something she had overheard. "Hey, Inu-chan, I remember you talking about us going out to a club tonight. Can we still do that?"  
  
Inuyasha thought about it. He wanted to go, and he knew that some of the older members wanted to go too. "If you want to go, then sure. But, only as long as you are comfortable with going out."  
  
Kagome nodded her head. "Yeah, I want to go. I want to prove to the Spiders that while they can scare me, they can't control me. I'm done and over with them. They killed Tasuki, and tried to get me too. They're going to pay for that."  
  
Inuyasha agreed with her. Turning to Miroku, who was just now getting up from his beating, he said, "Miroku, tell those who want to go that we're going to Four Souls tonight. We'll leave as soon as it's dark."  
  
Releasing Kagome from his wrapped arms momentarily, Inuyasha allowed her to stand beside him before he encircled her slender waist with his arm, his hand resting on her exposed side and stomach.  
  
Gently tugging, he led her out of the basement. The halls were a maze of Youkai going about their business and meeting up with friends. Many stopped what they were doing to stare at Inuyasha and Kagome as they passed. Most of those who stopped just stared at Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha saw the stares and growled, pulling Kagome closer to his side. He didn't like the way some of the men were looking at her. She belonged to him now, and he wasn't going to let anyone else get her. The guys, seeing the glares and hearing the growl, got the hint and looked away. Kagome just wrapped her arm around Inuyasha's waist and rested her head against him as they walked.  
  
The couple walked up the stairs together, heading for Kagome's room. The outside of the door had some funny bumper stickers on it, and some pictures of waterfalls as well as some cut out comic strips. She also had a small whiteboard with her name written on it in red. The board gave others the opportunity to leave her messages if she was out. It was a cute way to personalize her door. Inuyasha liked it.  
  
Opening the door, Inuyasha was impressed with what she had done with the time she had. The room was decorated like her old one, but it was different. It wasn't just the fact that she was in a new room. She had slightly rearranged her more moveable furniture so that she got the maximum usage of space.  
  
Her posters added color to the blank blue walls. Her pictures and stuffed animals added personality, and added the lived-in look. The drapes had been pulled back to let in the sun, and her balcony door was slightly open, letting in fresh air. She looked up at him to see his expression. He grinned down at her. "I like it. It's perfect, just like you."  
  
Kagome grinned at him. She reached up and pulled his head down to hers. Her arms encircled his neck as she closed her eyes and kissed him. He kissed her back, licking her bottom lip as he asked for entry. She opened her mouth and let him in. A few moments later, she pushed him out and entered his mouth.  
  
Kagome used her tongue to explore his mouth. He tasted the way he smelt; wild, feral, like the forest. Gently, she brushed her tongue over his fangs, feeling their sharpness. He shivered this time, amazed at how bold she was being, especially since they had only been going out for a grand total of two days.  
  
'I don't understand it. I feel as though we've been together for years, not days. This just feels so right.like we were always meant to be together. Gods, I love him/her.' Both Kagome and Inuyasha thought the same thing.  
  
While Kagome kissed him, Inuyasha rested his hands on her exposed waist. Slowly, he slipped them up under her shirt and up her back, using his claws to lightly scrape her smooth skin. Kagome shivered and moaned a little at the contact. She tangled her hands in his silvery hair at the base of his neck, now standing on tip toe to reach him.  
  
Inuyasha smiled as he broke their kiss and her feet lowered to the floor. Kagome kept her eyes shut as he slowly kissed his way down her face and neck until he reached her shoulder. There, he began to both kiss and nip the delicate skin where her shoulder met her neck.  
  
Finding her pulse point, he gently sucked. He could feel how he was affecting her by the speed at which her heart was pounding. Her scent was strongest here as well, and he could smell her desire for him spike. This was now his new favorite spot on her body.  
  
Kagome let out another low moan as his fangs grazed her sensitive skin. Whatever it was that he was doing, she wanted him to keep going. One of his hands moved around to her front and found her right breast and began to gently massage it through her bra. She arched her back at his touch, pushing herself closer to his body.  
  
Kagome sighed, both happy and a little overwhelmed with what she was feeling. Inside, she felt like she was on fire and his hand was cooling her flesh. Nothing she had ever experienced in her entire life had ever made her feel this way before.  
  
"Inuyasha."  
  
Right as he was about to completely lift her shirt off, someone knocked on the door. Inuyasha growled, extremely pissed at being interrupted with his Kagome. "Who the fuck is it?"  
  
An equally pissed off Kagome could hear a slight bit of amusement in the voice that answered. "It's Kouga. I need to talk with you."  
  
At the sound of the name and voice, Inuyasha growled and stopped what he was doing. Kagome whimpered as his hands slid out from under her shirt and smoothed it down. Inuyasha smiled at her and gave her a quick kiss on the nose. "I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere and stay exactly like you are."  
  
Kagome glared at the door as Inuyasha opened it. "What do you want to talk about, Wolf?"  
  
Kouga looked in and saw Kagome glaring at him. Her lips were swollen from kisses, she was breathing hard, and her neck looked slightly red as if it had been nipped and sucked. Inuyasha's hair was slightly tangled and he had a dangerous glint in his eye.  
  
Kouga realized what had been happening and what he had done. "Oops, didn't mean to interrupt anything. I'll just come back later."  
  
Inuyasha was not happy, but he needed to know what was so important. "You already interrupted, Kouga. Now tell me, what you wanted to talk about."  
  
"It's about that Houjo kid you were talking about at the meeting and using the pack to track him."  
  
At the mention of Houjo, Kagome stiffened and her hand unconsciously went to her bruised arm. Inuyasha saw this out of the corner of his eye and cursed silently. He pushed Kouga out of the door and followed.  
  
Poking his head back in, he said, "Kags, chill and relax. He isn't gonna get you. I won't let him. I'll find Sango and send her in here. You two can talk about what you want to wear to the club tonight or something." He started to leave, but then poked his head back in again. "And don't even think that we're done with what we started" he said with a smirk and a wink.  
  
Kagome smiled slightly and nodded. She watched as he closed her door. "So much for that tour" she said to no one in particular. Walking over to her stereo, Kagome chose a burnt cd of rave songs. She put it in her player and turned up the volume. Grabbing the remote that went with it, she pressed the play button.  
  
As the first pounding dance beats came out of the speakers, she twisted, shook, and danced her way over to her computer and logged on. Seeing that no one she knew was online, she just decided to check her email and then read some fanfics.  
  
Her email was just full of junk. She checked the online newsletter that she got from Hot Topic, noting all the new items that had just come in, and also the stuff that was going on sale. She noticed a bunch of cute clothes and decided that a trip to the mall was in order in the near future.  
  
After checking out the ad, she logged on to her fanfic account and checked to see if her favorite authors had updated yet or not. She clicked onto one of her favorites and decided to read it from the beginning. She read for what seemed like hours while the cd played. She had put it on continuous play so that she wouldn't have to change it. She was so engrossed in the computer screen that she didn't even notice the knock at the door or the door opening.  
  
She had no idea that there was another person in the room until a shadow fell over her. Looking back, she shrieked, raising and crossing her arms over her face in a defensive movement. The threat turned out to be Sango. Kagome dropped her arms and gave a sigh of relief as she tried to slow her racing heart.  
  
Sango gave Kagome an apologetic smile. "Gomen, Kagome. I thought that you had heard me knock and open the door."  
  
"Nope. I kinda got sucked into this fanfic here. It's one of my favorites and it finally got updated after like a month."  
  
Sango grinned. "You like fanfics too? That's great! I am so glad that I am not the only one in this gang who likes them. But, on to other things. We're going to be leaving for the club in a little bit, so I decided to come get you so that we could get ready."  
  
"Thanks, Sango. I think that I already know what I am going to wear, but having someone else's opinion is a good thing."  
  
Kagome got up and went to her closet. She searched around for a moment before locating the clothes that she wanted. She held up the outfit. It was a pair of tight low-waist black leather pants that would hug her legs and butt and a blood red triangular top that tied in the back. The two ties in the back were the only things that would be keeping her top on. Kagome pulled out a pair of black lace up boots to complete her outfit.  
  
Sango was impressed. She hadn't expected Kagome to have clothes like that. She frowned as she saw the bandage on her arm. "What are you going to do about that?"  
  
Kagome thought for a moment, and then went to her jewelry box. She pulled out a red leather cuff that had silver metal studs on it. It was just big enough to fit around her upper arm. "I think this will cover it. Matches everything too."  
  
Sango approved of the outfit and then left so that she could go and get dressed. Kagome quickly stripped and then pulled on the pants. They sat very low on her waist and hips and exposed her belly button. She had a feeling that Inuyasha would like them. She tied the top on, one set of ties going above her breasts, and the other set tying below, and then dealt with her boots.  
  
Kagome decided that her hair needed some color, so she reached into her dresser and found her red and silver temporary hair colors. Using the attached combs, she added red and silver streaks to her black hair. The dyes would wash out in a few days, but would not come off if she was sweating while dancing. When the dyes had dried, she took a red clip and some pins and twisted her hair into an intricate twisted ponytail bun, much like the one she had done before. The tips of her red and silver streaked hair now gently brushed against her neck, while the rest was up in a bun.  
  
For make-up, she only had on some smoky gray mascara to make her eyes seem bluer and light red lip gloss with glitter. She made sure that her Red necklace was still on as she adjusted her clothing, and then turned to the rest of her jewelry for the evening.  
  
She filled her ear piercings with silver hoops. She had three hoops on her left and three on her right, and a silver hoop in her cartilage at the top of the ear. Taking out her blue and silver navel ring, Kagome replaced it with a dark hematite hoop with a red ball on it.  
  
Kagome unwrapped her bruised arm and gently put on the cuff, fastening it tightly yet not too tight, but tight enough to make sure that it wouldn't fall off while she danced. Looking in the mirror, she winked at her reflection. She was ready.  
  
Grabbing her black leather jacket, Kagome shut off her lights and left her room. She walked over to Sango's room and knocked on the door. Sango answered and Kagome grinned as she saw how her friend was dressed. 'Oh, Miroku is gonna love it.'  
  
Sango was wearing a short black mini skirt and a narrow magenta pink tube top that showed a lot of her stomach, sides, and back. She had on black high heeled boots that zipped up the sides and ended right below her knees, and her hair was up in a ponytail. She had added some pink dye to her bangs and also the tips of her ponytail.  
  
She wore glittery lip gloss and magenta eye shadow, and had a large gold hoop in each ear. Sango grabbed her own black leather jacket before she shut off her light and closed her door. The two girls nodded at each others outfits, smiled, and then walked down the hall to the stairs, jackets in their hands.  
  
Looking down from their floor, they could see that everyone else was waiting on them. As they walked down the stairs, all the talk stopped as everyone looked up. Sango and Kagome giggled as they got cat calls and whistles from some of the men at the bottom. Inuyasha couldn't keep his eyes off of Kagome, and Miroku looked like he was about to have a heart attack at the sight of Sango.  
  
Inuyasha immediately slipped his arms around Kagome's waist when she reached him, pulling her into a smoldering kiss. He liked her outfit choice. It showed off her curves, slender body, and those long legs of hers, and he could feel a lot of her naked skin thanks to her top and pants, not to mention her navel ring, which had quickly become his new toy.  
  
With almost nothing covering her back or front and the tightness of her clothing, it didn't take much for him to imagine her naked. He was half tempted to just throw her over his shoulder and run back upstairs to his room and keep her there for the rest of the night, and a few days after too. She was wearing his necklace, and the colors she had chosen went with it, and with what he was wearing. Inuyasha wondered if she had planned it like that as he played with her belly button ring.  
  
He was wearing black baggy jeans with a silver chain clipped from the belt to his back pocket, and a tight red muscle shirt that showed off his muscular stomach and chest. He had on a pair of black boots and a black leather jacket. His hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail at the base of his neck, leaving his two forelocks to frame his face.  
  
Miroku was wearing loose dark blue jeans and a tight purple muscle shirt, along with a black leather jacket. He had kept off the rosary and arm wrap, revealing his tattoos for everyone to see. He had another on his left shoulder. It was Sango's name again, only larger and joined by a pair of burgundy eyes that were perfect copies of hers. His clothing choice was complete with black combat boots. He had his gold hoops in his ears and his hair was in its normal short ponytail.  
  
Kouga was wearing a dark green muscle shirt and loose dark brown cargo pants. He had on lighter brown boots and his long black hair was up in its normal ponytail. He also had on a brown headband that kept his bangs out of his eyes, and a brown leather jacket. His dark tail could be seen hanging out from under his jacket.  
  
Jake was in a yellow muscle shirt, loose black jeans, and black boots. He had a black leather jacket as well, and part of his belt tail hung from under his shirt. His muscles could be seen through the shirt. Doing martial arts evidentially paid off very well.  
  
Katie was wearing a yellow v-neck halter top and a black leather mini skirt that went to mid-thigh. She wore black high heeled boots that went to her knees and had her hair up in curly pigtails. On her arms were numerous black, yellow, and white rubber bracelets and plain silver studs were in her ears.  
  
Ayame had her reddish brown hair in pigtails as well. She was wearing a white skirt and black tube top with red designs on it. She was wearing white platform sandals and little make up. Her claws had been painted bright red to match the red design on her top, and she had sparkling ruby earrings in her pointed ears. Her reddish brown tail poked out of the back of her skirt and hung behind her.  
  
The total group going to the club consisted of Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Kouga, Ayame, Katie, Jake, and about a dozen more who were either younger or older than them. They all walked down the mansion's stairs and over to where the cars were parked.  
  
Sango tossed Kagome her keys as she made her way to her car. Inuyasha pouted. He wanted to try driving her car. Seeing the hurt look on Inuyasha's face, Kagome rolled her eyes.  
  
"Alright, Inu-chan, you can drive."  
  
Inuyasha brightened up at this and took the keys from her. He opened the door for Kagome before heading around and letting himself in. Miroku and Sango would be riding with them, while the rest would be splitting themselves up in five other cars.  
  
The six cars sped off into the night, all heading for the Four Souls Club. It was on what was considered neutral ground for the two gangs, but it was close to the Youkai's territory. That didn't mean that they went in without protection though. No one ever knew if a fight would break out or not, but everyone went expecting one.  
  
All of the guys had their guns and knives with them, and some of the girls, like Sango, Ayame, and Katie, were armed too, with lighter weapons as well as their guns. Sango had daggers hidden in each of her boots and her gun in her jacket, and Katie had some throwing stars in her boots. Jake had her gun in his jacket for her. Ayame had her natural weapons of claws and fangs, along with her gun, which was with Kouga.  
  
In the gang, everyone knew how to fight, even the girls. Sometimes, it was the women of the gang that came through and saved the day in emergency situations. Unlike her new friends, Kagome had nothing except her ability to defend herself and her speed, and would be mostly relying on others to help her if she got in trouble. She would need to learn how to use other weapons soon.  
  
Kagome looked out the window as they drove up to the club. It was huge! The outside looked just like a warehouse, but she could see lights blazing from the inside through windows and the door.  
  
The Youkais parked their cars and walked up to the club. Rather than wait in line, they just walked straight up to the bouncer at the door. He was a friend and contact of Inuyasha's, and he always let them in ahead of the line. He smiled as he saw Kagome with Inuyasha, his arm wrapped securely around her slim waist.  
  
"Hey Inuyasha, new girl there I see. She's pretty. Much better than the last one."  
  
"Thanks, but don't even think of touching her. She's completely mine."  
  
"Hey, no problem man. I have my own woman now. She's nice, but not nearly as nice as yours."  
  
"Great to hear that, Jinto. You gonna let us in or are we gonna discuss our women all night long?"  
  
The man nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Hey Inu, just so you know, I think that some Spiders might show up later. Word on the street is that you guys have something that they want. I'm not sure what though, no one is really talking. Naraku has all my usual contacts scared shitless. Watch your back." The man spoke very softly, so that only the hanyou could hear it.  
  
"Thanks, Jinto. You take care of yourself, and your new woman."  
  
Jinto allowed the group to enter the club. They earned jealous looks from the people waiting in line. Once inside, Kagome took in a breath. She had never been to a dance club that was for those over the age of 21 before. The clubs that she and Tasuki had always gone to, even the first one where she had first encountered Naraku, had all been for those of all ages, or 18 and older. She instantly liked Four Souls.  
  
The place was pulsing with life. Colored lights flashed and fog covered the dance floor. Pounding music filled the multiple floors of the warehouse. Laser lights created patterns in the space between the floors, the colors splintering off as they hit the fog that floated down from higher levels. Large platforms surrounded by fencing were suspended from the ceiling by chains and supported from the floor by pillars to become extra dance floors high in the air. They were reached by fence covered bridges from the upper floors.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at Kagome. He could see the excitement on her face. He tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, come with me for a minute, and then we can dance." Kagome nodded and followed Inuyasha. She could hardly wait! Already her body was starting to move to the music.  
  
He led them up a ramp to an area that was filled with large couches, booths, and tables. It was the VIP area. The group all walked over to one particularly large booth that faced the dance floor, allowing anyone who sat in it to observe the entire club.  
  
The DJ had started a new song, a remix of the Tetris game music. Kagome smiled; she knew this song like the back of her hand since it was on her burnt cd. She had made up the perfect set of moves to go with it. She looked over at Inuyasha and was a little mad when she saw what he was doing.  
  
'So much for dancing with him.'  
  
Inuyasha and the other men had all sat down in the booth. They seemed to be discussing some gang related business, ignoring the girls completely. Crossing her arms, Kagome looked over at Sango. Sango met her gaze, a little angry as well. "Come on, Sango. Let's dance since the guys don't seem to be interested in us anymore."  
  
Ayame, who had come with Kouga, looked at the two as well. "Hey Kagome, mind if Katie and I join in? Kouga and Jake seem to be occupied as well at the moment."  
  
Kagome nodded. "Sure Ayame. The more the merrier. Let's get out there and dance! Maybe some guys out there will appreciate us more than these guys here."  
  
The group of four girls took off their jackets, threw them into the booth, and made their way out to the dance floor. The other Youkai had vanished the moment they set foot in the club. Kagome figured that they were scouting the area and making sure that it was safe, while they danced and had fun.  
  
The boys had stopped talking the moment that the girls had thrown their jackets at them and walked away. Inuyasha had been telling them about what Jinto had said at the door. They refocused their attention on the four girls who were now in the center of the floor dancing together, ignoring the stares of others around them.  
  
And their girls certainly could dance. They twisted and rubbed up against each other, moving in time with the music. Sango and Kagome started dancing together, and Katie and Ayame formed their own little pair. The four girls stayed close, but left enough room for moves. As the song got faster, they broke out of their pairs and danced individually for a while, letting the music take control of their movements.  
  
After awhile, the four girls created a little square that they stayed in as they danced around and with each other. Then Christina Aguilera's song 'Dirrty' came on and the girls began to dance just like the name of the song.  
  
Their men were just staring at them now, no words coming to mind except, "Amazing" "Beautiful", "Wild", and "Mine". Somehow, the girls managed to catch the looks that were being thrown their way. They all winked at each other, knowing that they had their attention now.  
  
They had accumulated many other fans in the short time on the floor. Guys were trying to separate the four, but they just ignored them and continued to dance with each other. The men in the booth glared at the various guys who tried to steal away their women. They were all ready to take out anyone who touched them.  
  
Inuyasha was impressed with the way Kagome could dance. It was as if her body was made for dancing. She moved her body in perfect rhythm with the music, twisting her arms, rolling her hips, arching her back, and shaking her cute ass to the beat. He had to keep himself from drooling as she began to add belly dancing to what she was already doing, slowly rolling and shaking her stomach and hips, and then speeding up as the music got faster. The hanyou growled as he saw a group of guys checking her out. 'No one can look at her like that but me!'  
  
Kagome turned and glanced at the four men, seeing the glares that they were giving the guys around them. She saw Inuyasha staring daggers into a group of guys who were checking her out. 'So he likes what he sees, huh? Well, I think I know something that he'll like even more.' She smiled, getting an idea, and yelled over the music to the other three. "Hey, do any of you know the dance moves to Boa's song Valenti?"  
  
The other girls nodded. Kagome smiled wider as a plan fully formulated in her mind. "Great! Now, I have an idea. Here's what we do."  
  
Back up in the VIP area, the boys saw Kagome glance at them, then turn to the older girls, all the while still dancing. They saw her grin as she asked something, they nodded in reply, and then they went into some sort of dancing huddle.  
  
Kagome broke the huddle and stopped dancing. She stood on tiptoe while she looked for where the DJ was. Seeing him, she began to twist and dance her way through the dancing crowd to him, still staying in time with the music.  
  
Inuyasha stood up so that he could keep her in view. She was small and could easily be lost among the rest of the crowd. His sharp demon eyes focused only on her as she twisted her way towards the DJ. "What is she up to?" he wondered out loud. None of the guys with him could answer, but they were intrigued nonetheless. Their women were planning something, and Kagome was the ringleader.  
  
After speaking with the DJ for a moment, Kagome returned the way she had come; twisting and writhing her way through the crowds of dancers. Many times, she narrowly missed being groped or grabbed by guys who only saw her slender semi-naked body and not the face or fists attached to it.  
  
The ones who managed to make contact with her skin or clothing were rewarded with a punch, kick, or slap. Annoyed with the perverts, Kagome deftly navigated her way back to the dancing girls. "It's done. Valenti is the next song up. Come on, let's go set up the stage."  
  
Inuyasha, Miroku, Jake, and Kouga had no idea what was in store for them. They saw Kagome return, speak with their women, and then the four of them stopped dancing, left the floor, and headed towards them.  
  
Sango smiled as they approached. 'Those boys will never know what hit them.' Katie and Ayame shared amused glances and giggles. Kagome was a genius.  
  
Sango was the one to approach the table. "Boys, we've been thinking. You guys have done so much for us by bringing us here, and we just wanted to show our appreciation for it, even though you don't want to dance with us. So, Kagome came up with a great idea and the girls and I are going with her on it. We've come up with a bit of a demonstration for you, to try to change your minds about dancing with us. Sit back and enjoy!"  
  
The girls made sure that the area around them was clear of obstacles. They got into position, facing the guys, spreading their legs, bending over, and placing one hand on the ground and the other behind their backs. Over the speakers, music started. It was a pounding dance beat. Immediately, the girls jumped up and moved together, going into the smooth steps that was the Valenti dance in perfect sync around and with each other.  
  
(A/N: if any of you have KaZaA or anything like that, I highly suggest that you download the song Valenti. You can also find a video with the dance moves. It's a computer animated girl dancing, but it's actually a pretty cool dance. You can get the live version of the dance too. I think it would make a great work-out if you were to learn the steps.)  
  
Inuyasha, Miroku, Kouga, and Jake all watched silently, their eyes wide and mouths open, as the girls twisted their arms, rolled their hips, stretched their legs, smacked the floor, and danced in front of them. The moves they were using showed off their figures and flexibility. There was lots of touching and twisting going on, and belly dancing as well. And the entire time, the girls kept their eyes locked on the eyes of their guy, a smile on their lips.  
  
Kagome grinned. This was going great! Sango, Katie, and Ayame were excellent dancers. They were keeping up with her and all were staying in sync with the other. As they stamped the floor, they stamped as one. The girls moved around each other in a sort of circle, pausing every now and then to form a line before going to a square, and then back to the circle.  
  
Their bodies moved together as all four turned at the same time and the guys found themselves staring at four curved rear ends shaking. It was taking all of their strength and control not to jump the table and make off with them right there and then.  
  
As the four of them danced, they could tell that their guys were appreciating the effort. What they didn't know was that other men in the club were appreciating their efforts as well. Many guys had stopped dancing behind them and were watching the girls. But their guys could, and it was making them very jealous that other guys were getting a free show.  
  
Inuyasha was frozen in his seat as he watched the teen in front of him. Her blue eyes were focused only on him, and he was surprised to see her moving her mouth to the words of the song.  
  
"Boy, I fall in love with you." Kagome pointed directly towards the silver haired hanyou sitting in front of her and winked while singing. ".You are my dream."  
  
She was singing it directly to him as she danced. He felt a strong reaction to that in his chest. No one had ever done that for him. Kagome was the first girl to ever really show true feelings of love for him. 'And you know you love her back. Why you ever thought that Kikyo could love you like Kagome does is a mystery.' Inuyasha silently growled when his mind recalled the traitorous bitch's name.  
  
Finally, the song came into the final stretch. The girls put everything they had into making it perfect. And their efforts paid off. In perfect sync, they finished in the same position that they started in. As the song ended, they looked up. The booth was empty. The girls were slightly confused, and slowly stood up, wondering what was going on.  
  
Suddenly, four strong pairs of arms encircled the waists of the four girls and they were hauled off to the dance floor in separate directions.  
  
Surprised, Kagome looked behind her and saw Inuyasha. He had a very pleased look on his face. Kagome smiled as he pulled her to the dance floor. "I take it you liked what you saw?"  
  
He nodded as he moved Kagome out to the middle of the floor. There, he turned her around and pulled her close so that their fronts were facing each other, both hands gripping her hips and pulling her into him. He reveled in the fact that the amazing body currently pressed so close to his belonged to his girl.  
  
"I'm glad you liked it, Inu-chan."  
  
"Kags, you're the best. I love you, babe."  
  
"I love you too, Inu-chan. Now, you gonna dance with me or what?"  
  
He just grinned and began to grind up against her, his hands pulling her impossibly closer to his body. Kagome responded by grinding up against him. Inuyasha ran his hands all over her body as she danced with him, lost in the beat of the music. The DJ was spinning the Electric Rave Remix of Ghost in the Shell (A/N: Good song! I love it!), and the dancers on the floor loved it. Lights were flashing everywhere, and fog covered the floor and spilled down off the upper dance platforms.  
  
Inuyasha let his hands rest on her hips as he pulled her even closer. Kagome stretched up and wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt one of his hands run down her right leg. She was surprised when he gripped her leg right above the knee and brought it up, so that it was partially wrapped around his hip. His other hand steadied her so that she didn't fall while they danced.  
  
From this new position, Kagome could feel just how much Inuyasha had enjoyed the performance. The hard bulge she felt was pressed against the heat between her thighs, and the grinding he was doing was causing it to rub against her, creating a friction that sent shivers down her spine. Kagome moaned his name at the feeling and arched herself against him. Inuyasha grinned and slowly lowered her leg, pleased that he had gotten a reaction out of her.  
  
Kagome turned around in his arms, keeping in beat with the music, so that her back was to Inuyasha's front. He took one arm and put it around her waist, slipping it under her top, and then pulled her back into him. His other arm was at his side, but it occasionally ran over various parts of her body as they danced.  
  
The two resumed their grinding and dancing, and Kagome could definitely tell that Inuyasha was enjoying this. Not only could she feel the hardened bulge in his jeans against her lower back, but he kept running his claws lightly over her stomach as they danced, playing with her navel ring; all a silent reminder that they hadn't finished what had been going on in her room earlier. Kagome just shivered from the contact and kept dancing, only paying attention to the music around her and the man behind her.  
  
Inuyasha bent low and sniffed her neck. She was definitely turned on. Her scent was full of desire and wanting, and he knew that it was directed only to him. The way they were dancing was definitely arousing her. He was feeling the same, and was wishing that they were in a more private place, so that he could do a whole lot more to her.  
  
Inuyasha's other hand joined Kagome's up in the air, twisting with her fingers. He bent his head close and nuzzled her shoulder, kissing and nipping and licking her sensitive skin every so often. Kagome giggled at the feeling, and then shivered as his fangs grazed her skin again. Inuyasha was doing all he could to show her how much he loved her, and he was definitely succeeding.  
  
Looking over to her left, Kagome could see Miroku and Sango dancing in a similar way, minus the kissing and nipping and licking. Sango was letting Miroku's hands wander anywhere they wanted to though, and they both had a pleased smile on their faces. Sango didn't even bat an eye when Miroku groped her ass and squeezed it.  
  
On her right, she could see Ayame and Kouga, again in a similar position to hers and Inuyasha's, with kissing, nipping, and licking. Ayame had reached her arms around Kouga's neck and was keeping his head close to her neck as he danced behind her. He was raking his claws lightly over her skin. Their tails were even moving to the music.  
  
And in front of her, were Katie and Jake, dancing the same way, minus licking and nipping, although Jake was kissing Katie's neck every so often and Katie had her hands over Jakes, keeping them at her waist.  
  
The three other men seemed to be slowly moving the girls over towards her and Inuyasha in a pack behavior. Inuyasha had mentioned to the other guys about what Jinto had said concerning the Spiders. If they showed up, they wanted to have the girls together in case they needed to protect them. Plus, it allowed the girls to congratulate themselves on how well their plan had worked.  
  
Kagome, Sango, Ayame, and Katie all looked at each other and grinned. Their boyfriends had brought them together to form a square, just like what they had done in the beginning. The four girls all took one hand and reached into the center of their square. They laid their hands over one another and then lifted them up in celebration. Their plan had worked, and now their guys were dancing with them.  
  
The men didn't notice. They were too busy with the dancing bodies in their arms and against their own bodies. What the girls had done for them was one of the best experiences they had ever had, and they had certainly been convinced as to why they should dance with them. Now they were getting the pleasure of having their women grinding with them and feeling their reactions to the erotic moves being employed.  
  
The eight danced for a bit more before the girls began to get tired. Kagome, noticing the weary looks from her three friends, used one of her hands to bring Inuyasha's head closer to her own. "Inu-babe, the girls and I are getting thirsty and tired. Why don't we go sit for a while?"  
  
He nodded and looked over at the guys. Motioning with his head, he signaled their retreat to the VIP lounge. They all sat down in the booth in pairs. Kagome was pulled onto Inuyasha's lap where he slid the tips of her hair to the side and began kissing the back of her neck and shoulders. Kagome smiled and giggled at the feeling. He seemed to be in love with the back of her neck and her shoulders.  
  
Miroku draped his arm around Sango and pulled her close as he kissed her, his other hand stroking her thigh as she stretched it over his legs, crawling halfway into his lap. Ayame and Kouga were in full make-out mode, and soft whimpers and low growls could be heard from the two wolves. Katie and Jake just cuddled, mixing in some kisses as they enjoyed being with each other.  
  
A slutty dressed waitress came by to get their drink orders. As the group ordered, she tried to catch the eye of Inuyasha, but he was too involved with sucking on Kagome's pulse point from behind and ignored her.  
  
Kagome, however, did notice the unwanted attention. Kagome stared the waitress directly in the eye as she reached back and put her arms possessively around Inuyasha's neck as he continued to suck on hers. She let a smug and satisfied smile play across her face as she told the waitress what she and Inuyasha wanted to drink. He had whispered what he wanted into her ear as he kissed her. After Kagome had stopped blushing, he told her what he wanted to drink and slipped her some money, and then returned to her neck.  
  
The others saw what was going on, and it surprised them. It was as if Kagome were daring the waitress to make a move towards the hanyou while she was on his lap. Inuyasha saw this and smiled as he gently sucked and nipped her neck. 'She's possessive of me already. I think I'll return the favor. Make it so that no other males will get any ideas. I saw the way those guys were looking at her while she danced. They need to know that she's all mine.'  
  
Inuyasha growled low in his throat at the waitress. It was his way of telling her to leave now or face the consequences. He was busy and didn't like Kagome's attention being divided when it should be fully on him and what he was doing to her.  
  
The waitress took the hint and left with the drink orders and money. Inuyasha took the time to brush Kagome's hair completely off of her shoulders and back, so that it was on either side of her neck. Her neck and shoulders were now totally exposed to him. He then gently kissed his way to the junction where her shoulder and neck met on her right side.  
  
Nuzzling for a moment, he whispered a quiet apology to her before he sank his teeth gently into her skin. The bite mark he would leave was a perfect crescent moon shape of his teeth. It was a mark of possession. Any demon in the club would recognize her as being claimed as a mate-to-be. The mark was temporary though, and would most likely fade by the end of the week, since they weren't true mates yet, but it was his way of telling others to back off.  
  
The permanent mate mark was just two symbols on the left shoulder. When Inuyasha made it, the mark would be two small red crescent moons, because that was Inuyasha's 'signature' in the demon world. It wouldn't be made until Inuyasha formally mated with Kagome and she would have to agree to be his mate in return. It was a whole big ceremony deal. Inuyasha had little doubt that she would say no, but he didn't want to permanently mark her until the issue with Naraku was over. If he did, it would let Naraku know how valuable she was to him.  
  
Kagome heard his quiet apology. She wondered why he was apologizing and what for. Then, she stiffened at the feel of his teeth sink into her neck, and tried not to cry out. It hurt, and she wanted to smack him away, but then she relaxed as Inuyasha gently lapped the area with his tongue, another apology for causing her pain. She understood as she remembered something she had been told by Sango.  
  
The bite, coupled with his necklace, marked her as his. Sango had explained to her that Inuyasha would most likely mark her within the next few days like he had. Demons did that with potential mates; they marked them with bites on the right shoulders. It was the same as what she had done in front of the waitress; a claim of possession. Sango had assured her that it was temporary though, and would last for a week or so before he would have to make it again. The permanent mark would be done on her left shoulder.  
  
Looking around, Kagome could see that none of the others had seen what had happened. They were too busy with their own partners. Inuyasha nuzzled the area where he had made the mark and sighed, resting his chin on her shoulder. He really didn't want to embarrass her with any questions from the others concerning it, even though most of them knew what it meant, but he had to do it for her protection.  
  
The waitress returned carrying their drinks on a tray. Kagome had just gotten a soda. She hadn't had alcohol before since she was only seventeen, and wasn't in too much of a rush to try. The rest of the table had gotten various mixed drinks, or like Kagome, had gotten sodas. Kagome just smiled as she sipped her soda. It was her favorite combination; a Pibb Suicide. (A/N: A Pibb Suicide: half Mr. Pibb or Pibb extra, then a quarter of diet coke, a quarter of coke, then more Pibb, and then some cherry coke on top. Stir it all together and enjoy! Feel the caffeine rush! Great for early in the morning or late at night. My total favorite combo.)  
  
Inuyasha drank his Smirnoff Ice while he ran his claws lightly up Kagome's side and across her stomach. He heard and felt her giggle, something he hadn't noticed while they had been dancing. 'Ooo, someone's ticklish.' He filed that information away for later use.  
  
Again, the images of things he wanted to do with and to Kagome popped back in his mind, and the ticklish factor just added to it. His eyes took on a glassy appearance as he fell into a trance, fantasizing about him and Kagome back up in his room alone.  
  
Kagome turned her attention to Ayame and Sango. The two were talking about going shopping that weekend. She wanted to go too. "Hey Sango, mind if I come also?"  
  
"No problem Kagome. Katie, would you like to come too?"  
  
The older girl smiled and nodded. "Sure. It's been a while since I've been to the mall."  
  
"Great! Then how about we go on Saturday after school is out?"  
  
Kagome smiled. "It's a date. Should I drive, or should we use one of the gang's car-"  
  
The girls were interrupted by a pair of Black levels. They came running up to the booth. Inuyasha snapped out of his trance and growled, wanting to know the cause of the interruption.  
  
"Inuyasha-sama, sir! The Black Spiders have arrived! It looks like some of the higher members too!"  
  
Kagome stiffened at the mention of the Black Spiders. Her fear began to take control and she started to squirm, wanting to break free so that she could run and hide. Inuyasha felt her trying to get away and immediately pulled her tighter against him. He could smell her fear take over her normal scent, completely erasing the desire that had developed from his attentions and the earlier dancing.  
  
Setting down his drink, he wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her closer, molding her body to his chest. He then began to gently nibble and kiss the back of her neck and shoulders, paying attention to the mark he had made, trying to break through her panic.  
  
It had the desired reaction. Kagome started to relax as she realized that Inuyasha was still with her. He was going to keep her there and protect her.  
  
Miroku turned to the two Black levels. He knew that Inuyasha was busy trying to keep Kagome calm and couldn't talk at the moment. "Is Naraku or Houjo with them?"  
  
The Black levels shook their heads. "Not that we could see, Miroku-sama. But then again, as soon as we saw the first couple of Spiders enter, we came right over to tell you."  
  
Miroku nodded. He turned to Inuyasha for orders. "What do we do, Inu?"  
  
Inuyasha still hadn't gotten Kagome to fully relax, even though she was much calmer. He knew the panic she had felt could easily come back, and most likely worsen. 'Dammit, I need to get her out of here.'  
  
He sighed, realizing what had to be done. "We don't have enough here to fight and defend if we need to. I know that we're packing, but we can't endanger the girls, even those who can defend themselves. We're going home."  
  
He turned to the Black levels. "Get the others. Tell them to get back to the cars. We're going back to the mansion. Avoid all confrontations. No violence tonight."  
  
The two Black levels nodded and left. Inuyasha got his and Kagome's jackets. The eight exited the booth. Kagome put her jacket on and allowed Inuyasha to wrap his arms protectively around her.  
  
She melted into his strong embrace, letting him guide her with his body. They remained in pairs as they made their way to the exit. Inuyasha and Kagome led them with Miroku and Sango next, then Ayame and Kouga, and lastly Katie and Jake.  
  
They were almost to the door when Inuyasha caught an all too familiar and very unwelcome scent. 'Oh no, not her. If she's here, then so is Naraku.' He stopped and turned. The rest of his companions stopped also, confused. Miroku looked over at the hanyou.  
  
"Hey Inu, what's up? Why did you stop?"  
  
"We've got a problem. I smell Kikyo, and if she's here, then so is Naraku."  
  
"The slut is here? Damn, this isn't good."  
  
"That's not the worst part. She's heading this way, and she isn't alone."  
  
Moments later, a dark haired girl who looked almost exactly like Kagome stepped out of the crowd. She had a Black Spider tattoo on her collarbone and an evil glint in her dark eyes. She was dressed in a black vinyl mini skirt, a black bikini top that was a few sizes too small for her, and platform black sandals. Her make-up was heavily applied and her hair reeked of mousse, gel, and hair spray. She looked like a cheap hooker.  
  
She walked up to Inuyasha and smiled seductively. Her smile turned to a disgusted frown as she recognized Kagome in his arms. "Why Inuyasha, who is this tramp? She looks almost exactly like me. Is she your replacement for me? You miss me that much?" Ayame, Sango, and Katie all snarled at Kikyo, but she just ignored them.  
  
Inuyasha could barely contain his rage. 'She did NOT just insult my Kagome.' "No, slut, she is not your replacement, and I certainly do not miss you. One betraying whore in this world is bad enough. She is no where near what you are; she's above you. Kagome is her own person, and she's mine now. Compared to you, she's a goddess. She's better than you ever were. Bitch, I wish I had never even met you."  
  
Kikyo glared at the younger girl in his arms. She had fear in her blue-gray eyes. Looking at her neck, Kikyo saw the red and silver necklace. It had his name scratched into it. She narrowed her eyes. Inuyasha had never scratched his name into her necklace when she wore the Red.  
  
Of course, she had only been using Inuyasha for sex. But it still hurt.  
  
Kikyo gritted her teeth and started to move forward, ready to slap Kagome. A pale, slender hand appeared on her shoulder, holding her back. From the darkness of the club emerged Naraku himself.  
  
Kagome shrunk back farther into Inuyasha's embrace, trying to disappear from sight. Naraku still scared her, even after a year of not seeing him. Miroku immediately pulled out his cell phone and punched in a code. He sent it via text message to all of the people on his list. The code went out to various high members of the Youkai, letting them know that assistance was needed. He immediately got messages back confirming that help was on the way.  
  
Naraku looked at Kagome with lust in his red eyes. "So, Tasuki's slut of a girlfriend has reappeared at last. Houjo was telling me the truth then when he said he found you." Inuyasha bared his teeth at the slut comment. He didn't like having his friends or his woman insulted.  
  
Naraku ignored Inuyasha and spoke directly to Kagome. "And it would appear that you have already slept your way to the top of the Youkai. Not much of a surprise there. You know, if your Tasuki had just given me what I wanted, I wouldn't have had to kill him. I would have let him leave without harm and return to the Youkai. All he had to do was give me what I desired most." Naraku let his red eyes wander over Kagome's body and he licked his lips. Kagome knew exactly what he meant and wanted, and she wasn't going to stand for it anymore.  
  
Kagome surprised everyone, including herself as she yelled at Naraku, her eyes blazing with anger. "Shut the hell up, you fucking murderer! There was no way that I would have ever gone with you, even if Tasuki had given me to you freely!" Kagome clenched her fists. She was starting to vent her pent up anger, and it felt good.  
  
"Leave me alone now. I was never a part of the Spiders and you know it. I hated every moment that I had to wait to hear if Tasuki was coming home or not. I hated the way you stared at me like I was an object, and I hated the way your dumbass men treated me the few times that Tasuki took me to your base! You are lucky that I don't kill you right here, right now!"  
  
She looked over at Kikyo. "Besides, it seems that you have your own slut to play with right now. She looks like me, so I guess that's keeping you satisfied for now, huh? Listen to me carefully, ass. You will never have me. All you will have is this cheap, old, whored-up look-alike. I belong to Inuyasha now, and that's how it's going to stay. And if you want your bitch to live, keep her away from me and my man!"  
  
Everyone was surprised at her shouted outburst and language. Inuyasha tightened his grip on her, supporting her with his strength. He bared his fangs again and growled at Naraku. "You heard what she said. Leave her alone, bastard. She's mine now. I got her before you, and I'm going to keep her from you. You can't have her. You will never have her. She. Is. Mine!"  
  
He growled again, and moved Kagome's hair once more, pushing aside her jacket as well. Staring directly at Naraku, a smug smirk on his face, he began nipping and licking the base of her neck and right shoulder, showing the mark he had made. It was a blatant act of possession in the demon world. He was showing Naraku that she was his, and he was daring him to try to take her away.  
  
Naraku bared his own teeth at Inuyasha. His red eyes took on an evil glint and started to glow. But before he could do anything, a teenage boy with a Spider tattoo ran over and whispered into his ear. Naraku looked over at the entrance.  
  
Kouga looked over too. He had been trying to keep Ayame from jumping to Kagome's defense, knowing that she would just make things worse. His tail flicked against hers, telling her to look at what he was seeing.  
  
At the entrance, Kouga could see many members of the Youkais coming in. Most were White levels and Brown levels. He then caught sight of Nobunaga and Midoriko. Knowing that there were two Greens with them made him feel better. Their backup was under good leadership.  
  
Inuyasha noticed the arrival of their back-up as well. He turned to Naraku, who looked like he was having second thoughts of going after Kagome tonight. Naraku looked over at the entrance again and turned to his gang. "We're going. Head for the second floor lounge. We shall join you shortly." He turned back to Inuyasha. "We shall have to finish this another time, when we don't have so much company."  
  
He turned to Kagome. "This isn't over, bitch. You will be mine, even if I have to kill your so called 'man' to get you."  
  
Kikyo sneered down at Kagome. "You may dress and act like you are one of them, but I still say that you're too pure to belong. You were two years ago, and you still are now. You're just all talk. At the rate you're going, you won't survive long in this life. I'd watch your back, bitch."  
  
Inuyasha watched as Naraku put his arm around Kikyo's waist and disappeared into the crowd of dancers. He shuddered. 'Gods, what did I ever see in that?'  
  
"I-I can't b-believe t-that I j-just d-did t-that."  
  
Inuyasha turned his attention back to Kagome. She was shaking. Her former confidence had crumbled as their enemies had left. The shock of what had happened had finally gotten to her. Her scent was full of fear and she was breathing hard and fast. He had to get her out of there before she had a full out panic attack.  
  
Without another word, he scooped her up in his arms and walked out the door. The others followed silently. Midoriko and Nobunaga looked at Miroku questioningly. He shook his head. He would tell them later, after Inuyasha had calmed down Kagome.  
  
Inuyasha walked across the street and over to a bench. He sat down with the girl in his lap so that she faced him, her legs straddling his hips. He gently brushed her dark bangs from her face with his clawed fingers as he tried to get through to her. "Kagome? Kagome, are you ok? Kags? Look at me, baby. Talk to me. Don't keep it in, love. Let it out. I'm here, baby, and I won't let him get you."  
  
Kagome looked up into his amber gaze. Tears had gathered in her blue-gray orbs. She had stopped shaking. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a fierce hug, burying her face and head into his strong chest as she started crying.  
  
Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and inhaled her scent. It calmed him down, destroying the rage he felt inside until it was gone. 'Damn that Naraku for hurting her in this way. I'll kill him and Kikyo too. That fucking bitch needs to die. Both of them.'  
  
Kagome just let Inuyasha hold her as her tears flowed. She breathed in his scent. It was strong, and reminded her of forests, and it always seemed to calm her down when she was scared. 'I can't believe that I said that! I totally chewed them both out and lived! And I couldn't have done it without Inuyasha. His arms, his presence, his scent, they all gave me the strength and courage I needed.'  
  
After a few minutes, Inuyasha felt Kagome gently push away from him. Confused, he looked down. Kagome looked up at him. She was smiling, and her tears were drying, but there was still some fear in her eyes and scent. It was receding though, and he took that as a good sign.  
  
"What's that for?" He was puzzled with her sudden mood change.  
  
Kagome smiled wider. "For you. You called me yours. I was just thinking that if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had the strength to yell at Naraku like that." She laughed. "I guess I vented on him and Kikyo. It felt good though."  
  
Inuyasha bent down and pressed his forehead against hers, staring deep into her eyes. "Yup, I think you did. And I'm proud of you for doing it. It was a very brave thing to do." He sighed and that happy feeling filled his chest again, replacing the anger at Naraku and the fear for her. Her presence seemed to purify him of all the hate he felt. It was a good feeling.  
  
"Kags, you are my heart and soul. I meant it when I said that you are mine forever. I will never let them get you. I will give you my strength, because it is you who gives me strength." (A/N: Awww! Fluffy feelings going on inside right now!)  
  
Kagome gave him a quick kiss on his nose. "I know. The same goes for me." She yawned, and then remembered something. "Oh no! I forgot to call my mom to see how she and Souta are doing!"  
  
Inuyasha laughed. She was sounding like herself again and he was glad that she was alright. "I'm sure that you can call them in the morning, babe. It's late, and I don't think you want to wake them up."  
  
Kagome nodded. She looked up at Inuyasha and kissed him again. He caught her head in his hands and held her while he kissed her back, never wanting to let her go.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
And so, I would like to thank the following people for reviewing:  
  
lavenderrose98 : You asked, and I'm delivering!  
  
amberinuluver17 : Glad you like it. I like it too. Genius? Thank you!  
  
Lil-strange-person : Expect more Sango and Miroku fluff within the next few chapters!  
  
PeachesDani : Patience is a virtue. But when it comes to fanfics, it's just a pain to wait. Sorry for taking so long!  
  
light demon : Here ya go!  
  
and  
  
Weirdo's Rule : I know that it's not fun when people have authors notes up instead of chapters. I hope that this makes it up to you! 


	6. Chapter 5

DW: Hello everyone! Ok, I have some news. First off, I am once again a college student. I am now registered and attending classes. What this means for the story, is this: since I now am both going to class and working, updates might take longer. Secondly, the updates will be shorter than normal. I promise, this will just be until I get used to both working and going to school.  
  
Inu: And just what does that mean for me?  
  
DW: Well, you just get to stay home.  
  
Inu: What!!!!  
  
DW: You heard me. I had a hard enough time explaining you to my parents. I don't even want to think about how I'll explain you to my professors.  
  
Inu: Mate, we need to have a discussion.  
  
DW: *sighs* Well, while I go 'explain' the situation to my Inu-chan, enjoy the latest update. And as always, I do not own any of the anime characters created by Rumiko Takahashi. All I own is the dog demon that is currently glaring at me. *looks over her shoulder* I saw that!  
  
~~~  
  
Inuyasha had laughed. It drew the attention of the others. Sango smiled. "Well, by the laughter coming from Inu, I think that Kagome is gonna be ok. She really went off on Naraku and Kikyo. That girl has some majorly pent up stress and emotions."  
  
Miroku nodded. "Yeah, and I know of one good way that Inu can help her release them all." He got that lecherous grin on his face. Sango smacked him upside the head and muttered "Hentai." Seeing the pout on his face, Sango rolled her eyes and kissed him on the cheek. Miroku's pout turned into a grin as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her back.  
  
Kouga noticed that some of the others were starting to fall asleep. It was late, and also a school night. He turned to Inuyasha and Kagome, who were still kissing on the bench. "Hey! Are you two done yet? You know, Inu, you can always do that back home in your room." He grinned as Inuyasha yelled his answer. "Wolf, if it wasn't for the fact that Kagome is on my lap right now, you would be so dead!"  
  
Kagome laughed. She reluctantly got up from Inuyasha's lap. "Come on, Inu- chan. It's time to go home. I'm tired, and I have school tomorrow." She draped his arm over her shoulder, holding onto his hand as she dragged him up off of the bench.  
  
The two walked back over to the others. Katie, Sango, and Ayame all circled Kagome, wanting to make sure that she was ok while Inuyasha went and spoke to everyone else. She smiled and assured the older girls all that she was. "Guys, I'm fine. A little tired, but fine. Although, it did feel pretty good to vent some of what I've had pent up for the past year."  
  
Inuyasha came over and wrapped his arms around her slim waist. Besides sucking on her pulse point, playing with her navel ring, and sitting her in his lap, it was one of his favorite things to do with her. "We'll get him. He's going to pay for all the pain he's caused."  
  
The gang split back up and got into the cars they had come in. Kagome let Inuyasha drive again. She fell asleep on the way back to the mansion, her head resting on his shoulder, his light hair mixing with her dark.  
  
Sango was half asleep when the line of cars pulled up into the circular driveway. She noticed that most of the lights were on in the mansion. It looked like the place had gone into full alert. Miroku had acted without thinking again. 'Oops.'  
  
Sesshomaru was standing at the entrance of the mansion at the top of the stairs as the cars pulled up. He had his arms crossed and he didn't look too happy. He was dressed in a dark blue shirt, a pair of khaki pants, and black shoes. His long hair had been pulled back into a loose ponytail, and his eyes watched them all coldly.  
  
Sesshomaru watched as Inuyasha exited the car and walked over to the other side. The hanyou pulled the sleeping Kagome out and carried her up to the house. Miroku supported a tired Sango with his arms, and Jake was carrying a sleeping Katie on his back. The only pair who was both awake was Kouga and Ayame, and even still Ayame was fighting to keep her eyes open.  
  
They had made some detours on the way home to drop off the younger members who lived with their parents still. All that time in the car plus the dancing and the stress of the confrontation with Naraku had worn them all out.  
  
Sesshoumaru waited until Inuyasha got closer before speaking. "Tell me, my dear little brother. What terrible thing happened that required Miroku to alert the entire mansion at midnight?"  
  
Inuyasha growled in annoyance. "Keep your voice down. There are people trying to sleep right now."  
  
"That is exactly why I am so mad. Rin and I were rudely awoken by a message from Miroku. And then the entire house went on full alert, waking up everyone else. Care to explain?"  
  
"Well, for your information, Naraku showed up at Four Souls, with a good part of his main crew too."  
  
Sesshomaru quieted down, becoming serious. "What happened?"  
  
"If I tell you, will you let me take Kagome inside?"  
  
He nodded, his eyes flashing in the light from inside the house. Inuyasha sighed. Kagome shifted slightly in her sleep. She snuggled closer to him, and settled down again. Inuyasha pulled her jacket more tightly around her before explaining.  
  
"We were having a good time up in the VIP lounge when Alex and Miranda ran over, telling us that the Spiders had shown up. Jinto, the guy at the door, had warned me that they might make an appearance tonight. From what he said, it seems that we have something that they want. Anyways, we decided to leave to avoid trouble. We were almost at the door when Kikyo stopped us. She went after Kagome, calling her a replacement and a tramp."  
  
Sesshomaru glanced down at the sleeping girl. He knew how Inuyasha felt about her. She didn't seem hurt in any way though. He did notice the temporary bite marks on her right shoulder. That was a new yet expected development. He nodded for his brother to continue.  
  
"So, I chewed her out. Kikyo looked like she was going to go after Kagome and get violent, even though she was in my arms. It was then that Naraku showed up and stopped the slut. He started on Kagome too, insulting her and telling her some hurtful stuff involving Tasuki's death. I was about to start something when Kagome got involved. She really vented on him and Kikyo."  
  
"I don't think I've ever heard that language or tone from her before, well except for when I first met her, but she used it a lot more this time. It was kind of amazing. Anyways, Miroku had already called for back-up at this point, and they had just arrived. Naraku saw them and split. We left the club and came back here, after dropping off the others."  
  
Sesshomaru nodded, satisfied for the moment, and stepped aside. Inuyasha walked past him, carrying the still sleeping Kagome inside the mansion and the others followed him. As he and the others entered the main entrance hall, they were immediately swarmed by the younger and newer members, as well as some older members who wanted to know what was going on since they had been woken up. Shippo and Kohaku were among them.  
  
While Kohaku ran over to Miroku to see about Sango, Shippo ran up to Inuyasha, excitement on his face. The younger demon looked up to the hanyou as a hero/buddy/brother. "Hey Inuyasha! Did you guys get in a fight? Was Naraku really there? Why are you carrying Kagome? Did she get hurt?"  
  
Inuyasha growled at the kitsune teen. He was in no mood for his questions. "Shut up, runt. No, we did not get in a fight. Yes, Naraku was there. No, she is not hurt. She's asleep, and I am taking her upstairs so that she can keep sleeping without you being so god damned loud!"  
  
Inuyasha pushed past the annoying teen demon and continued towards the stairs, ignoring the others in the room. He walked up to the fifth floor and paused in front of Kagome's room. He leaned her forward slightly, so that she was mostly against his chest and raised a knee under her for added support. Holding her with just one arm, his knee, and his torso, he twisted the doorknob and opened the door with his other one.  
  
He walked over to her bed and gently deposited her on it. He left her in her clothes, not wanting to wake her up to change her into pajamas. Turning to leave, he felt a small hand grab his.  
  
Kagome had woken up slightly when she left the warmth of his arms. She looked at him with her blue-gray eyes half closed. Inuyasha gulped. 'Gods, she looks so damn sexy when she's half asleep!'  
  
"Inu-chan, would you stay with me please? Just for tonight?"  
  
Inuyasha smiled at her, regaining his composure. "Sure thing babe." He smirked then, seeing that she was still fully clothed. "You plan on wearing that to bed?"  
  
Kagome looked down and giggled. She was still dressed in her clubbing outfit. "No, not particularly." She sat up so that she could get changed. Inuyasha turned to leave.  
  
"I thought that you were going to stay with me?"  
  
He smirked. "I am. But I don't feel like sleeping in my clothes either. I'll be right back. I'm just going to go change into something more comfortable."  
  
Kagome nodded. After he left, she got up. She kicked off the boots, not caring where they fell, and stripped out of her pants and untied her top. All she was wearing now was a lacy black thong, and even that was uncomfortable after a night of dancing. She changed out of that, opting for a pair of more comfortable and more covering cotton panties.  
  
Going to her dresser, she found an old comfy pair of boxers and a white tank top. She had on the shorts and had just slipped the shirt on right as a knock sounded at her door. The shirt clung to her figure, but was loose enough to be comfortable. She left his necklace with his name on, not feeling right taking it off.  
  
"Come in" she called out as she looked in the mirror. Using a face wipe, she cleaned off the mascara and eye shadow. She didn't feel like going to the bathroom at this hour, since it was down at the other end of the hallway. She pulled the clip and pins out of her hair, letting it fall down her back. Her hair still had the red and silver streaks in it, but they were already starting to fade.  
  
She left the earrings in, but took off the leather cuff and metal bracelets. Her cuff had protected the bruise from further damage, but was uncomfortable to sleep in. She rewrapped the bandage around it.  
  
In the mirror, she could see Inuyasha enter and walk towards her. He was in a pair of red boxers that had white dog bones all over them and a black t- shirt that had a picture of an evil looking smiley face and the word 'DISTURBED' on it. He wore his new Red necklace that had her name on it.  
  
Kagome giggled as she turned around. Looking down at the boxers, she smiled. "Cute shorts, Inu-chan."  
  
He saw hers. They were faded blue plaid and the hems were starting to fray. "Same to you, Kags."  
  
Kagome walked over and turned off the overhead light. Now, the room was lit only by the lamp on her nightstand. She walked back over to the bed and looked over her shoulder. "Come on, I need to get to sleep. I have to get up early for school tomorrow."  
  
Inuyasha shook his snowy head and crossed his arms. "No you don't."  
  
Kagome looked at him, puzzled. She had just been about to climb into bed, but she stopped and turned around. "What do you mean by that?" she questioned.  
  
He sighed. "Exactly what it sounded like. After what happened tonight, I want you to stay here tomorrow instead of going to school. I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself." He cut off her protests with a wave of his hand.  
  
"I know that Tasuki taught you, but he taught you how to defend against human attackers. Naraku is not a human, and neither is most of his gang. I'm going to teach you how to defend against youkai and hanyous tomorrow. And, I'm going to teach you how to attack and use various weapons, and if we have time, how to shoot a gun. All the girls in the gang need to know how to fight, and tomorrow you're learning."  
  
Kagome crossed her arms over her chest. "But Inuyasha."  
  
He sighed. "Kags, I love you too much to see you get hurt. What if next time, I'm not there behind you and Naraku or Kikyo show up and they're armed? Look, I know about the shopping trip on Saturday. If you want to be able to go without escorts, and that means besides the girls, then let me teach you."  
  
Kagome dropped her arms and nodded in defeat. She wanted the freedom that being alone with just the girls would bring her. Inuyasha walked over and hugged her. "Thank you, Kagome. It will make me feel a lot better knowing that you will be able to defend yourself better."  
  
She looked him in the eyes. "I'll have you know that I already know how to shoot a gun. Tasuki taught me about 6 months after we started going out. I have naturally good aim."  
  
Inuyasha smirked. "Well, it won't hurt you a bit to get back into it. Besides, it gives me an excuse to wrap my arms around you as I help you."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes at him, smiling. "Like you need an excuse to wrap your arms around me. You do anyways, and as much as you can."  
  
"Yeah, but I still get to do it."  
  
"Feh."  
  
"That's my line." His teasing smile turned a bit more serious then. "But seriously Kagome, it makes me feel safer knowing that you will be able to defend yourself when I'm not there, or even if I am there, but I can't get to you."  
  
She smiled at him, showing that she forgave him. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close in a possessive embrace.  
  
By the stiffness in her stance, Inuyasha could tell that she was still upset. He began kissing her all over. (A/N: You know those quick kisses? I think they're called butterfly kisses. Well, that's what he's doing.) She smiled with her eyes closed as the last two landed on her eyelids. He stopped to let Kagome get into her bed. He followed her moments later.  
  
Together, they crawled under the covers facing each other. Inuyasha reached over and pulled her close, so that her head was nestled on his shoulder and under his chin. Kagome loosely draped her left arm over his waist, and Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist tighter. Kagome's free hand came to rest on Inuyasha's cheek, stroking his jaw with her fingers.  
  
"Night, Inu-chan."  
  
"Night Kags."  
  
Kagome's eyes were closed and she was asleep within moments. Inuyasha reached over and shut off the bedside lamp. Moving one of his hands, he ran his claws through her silky hair. He gave Kagome a soft kiss on her forehead and inhaled her scent one more time before he shut his eyes and joined her in the land of dreams.  
  
~~~ (A/N: I finally write a scene with just the bad guys! As it turns out, the bitch also known as kikyo will be in this fic more than I wanted her to, which was not at all, but I found it necessarily evil. She'll be getting her just desserts though. Heheh. I can't wait to make her suffer! Oh wait; did I say that out loud? I think I did, and I don't care. And I personally think that Naraku and kikyo are perfect for each other, in a sick and twisted undead sort of way.)  
  
Back at Four Souls, Naraku was fuming mad. Kikyo had seen him mad before, but never like this. She tried to calm him down and take his mind off of the altercation with Inuyasha and his new bitch.  
  
"Naraku, baby, why don't you and I dance?"  
  
Naraku looked over at Kikyo. She looked like Kagome, but she was too different. "That fucking bitch, she actually yelled at me. That is the first time that I have let someone disrespect me like that and live."  
  
Kikyo was getting mad. He had ignored her request to dance! He never refused her before. Naraku was usually all over her by now. She loved raking her hands through his wavy dark hair as he ground up against her. She loved the feel of his lips on hers, and all over her body. Inuyasha had never made her feel the way Naraku did. (A/N: Icky! Icky! Icky! I should burn my computer for writing this!)  
  
And now that Kagome bitch was getting in the way. She had to be eliminated from the picture. Only then would she be able to enjoy Naraku's company again.  
  
And it wasn't just that. It was the fact that the little bitch had told her off. And from the safety of Inuyasha's arms no less! Kikyo gritted her teeth as she sipped her drink. The bitch was a coward. She had met her a few times when that traitor Tasuki had brought her. She had seemed all sweetness and light and innocence. And she had immediately caught the eyes of Naraku.  
  
Naraku had asked Tasuki about her the night after he had first brought her to Bone Eater's Well. Tasuki had carefully guarded all information about his little teenage girlfriend. It had only fueled Naraku's curiosity, and lust. Tasuki stopped bringing her and involving her in gang related activities. He even told Naraku to keep his hands off of and away from her.  
  
And when Tasuki had been killed, Kikyo knew that it was mostly so that Naraku could have Kagome. But the bitch split town the night he had died. And for a full year, Kikyo had had Naraku's undivided attentions.  
  
But now, the bitch was back. And once again, Kikyo was without Naraku's undivided attention. Kagome would have to die. And Kikyo wanted her to suffer as much as possible first.  
  
Naraku looked over at Kikyo. She was staring ahead, gritting her teeth, rage in her eyes. He traced his finger down her cheek. Kikyo looked over at him. Her cold brown eyes warmed slightly as she saw his red gaze on her face.  
  
Naraku extended his arm to her. Kikyo took it and allowed him to pull her to the dance floor. There, she was felt up as he ground up against her. Kikyo took it, grinding up against him in return.  
  
But even as she was dancing with Naraku, she was still formulating a plan to kill Kagome.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: And so, I would like to thank these lovely reviewers:  
  
nallely  
  
DarkenWolf  
  
yokokuramasgrl2  
  
Lavenderrose98 : Dude, you got grounded? Harsh. Well, I hope it went fast for you. I'm too old to get grounded. Now, my parents just take away my internet privileges.  
  
DogDemon   
  
light demon  
  
ish : I think I've read that story. I totally was in tears the entire time I was reading it. All of my roommates couldn't figure out why I was crying. And I agree. It does make you all tingly with the love!  
  
Weirdo's Rule : Hmmm.tough call there. I'm glad that I made you happy though!  
  
you_know_who_0 : Why thank you very much. 5 out of 5, huh? Coolness!!!  
  
Domino : I think you're the fourth person to say that my story is kick ass. I guess that means that it is. Who knew?  
  
yasha21  
  
And everyone else who has ever reviewed my story. Thank you all so much for reading and enjoying! 


	7. Chapter 6

DW: Oh ho ho! What is this? Yes, I do believe that this is another update! This makes what, two in a row? Has the world suddenly turned banana shaped? Has Kouga given up on Kagome yet? Has Jaken finally come out and admitted to being a fruit? No! I just felt like being generous. All right, all right, that's not the only reason. I just had physical therapy, so I'm not up to going to class today. Way too sore to walk. So instead, I decided to update for all you lovely people. Heads up all you Sango/Miroku lovers and Rin/Sesshoumaru fans. This chapter is all about them.  
  
Inu: Feh.  
  
DW: Don't mind him. He's just upset that I won the argument last night over me going to school. I think someone needs his adorable ears rubbed. In the meantime, enjoy and I'll see about maybe updating again!  
  
~~~  
  
Waving goodnight to Katie and Jake, who were on their way to Jake's room, Miroku and Sango walked up the last flight of stairs and retreated to his room. They hadn't seen a light on under Inuyasha's door when they went by, which was unusual for the hanyou. He usually stayed up late at night, watching TV, walking around the house, or working on gang business. Miroku had a sneaking suspicion that his hanyou best friend was sharing Kagome's bed at the moment.  
  
Sango saw the lecherous grin on his face as he looked at Kagome's door. Kagome had put a whiteboard with her name on it and some bumper stickers up on it, probably so that she would remember which door was hers. The stickers also personalized it and made it seem a bit more 'homey' on the fifth floor. Already, some of the other members were copying her by decorating their own doors. Right now, the lights under her door were off, and Sango realized what Miroku was thinking of.  
  
"Houshi, stop it and leave them alone. What they do is no ones business but their own. Just like what we do in private. No one needs to know."  
  
Miroku looked over at Sango. She was busy getting changed out of her clubbing clothes and into a pair of Miroku's pajamas. He smiled as she turned her back to him to strip out of her top. They may be going out and sleeping together, but she still got a little shy when it came to changing her clothing in front of him, despite the fact that he had seen her naked many times already. Her slight shyness was one of the things he loved about her.  
  
"You know, Sango love. You should really think about moving some of your clothes into here if you are gonna spend the night all the time."  
  
Sango looked over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "You mean you don't like me wearing your clothes?" She pulled a shirt over her head and grabbed a pair of his pajama pants. Stripping out of her skirt and boots and pulling them on, she had to pull the drawstring tight so that they wouldn't fall off. She was a lot smaller than he was in the waist and hips.  
  
Miroku grinned at her. "It's not that, Sango love. It's just that I have to do twice as much laundry since I run out of clothes twice as fast."  
  
Sango walked over and put her arms around Miroku's bare chest. He was only in a pair of long purple pants. Sango was wearing one of his white wife beaters again and a pair of his long pajama bottoms that had ancient Buddhist monk staffs printed all over it. The pants were light purple, and the staffs were in black and gold. Sango had gotten them for him for his birthday a year ago. Even cinched tight, they sat low on her hips, giving him a nice view of the creamy skin of her waist and belly.  
  
She looked into his violet gaze, murmuring "Well, I didn't think that you minded all that much."  
  
He kissed her forehead, seeing her waist showing. "I don't anymore."  
  
Sango stretched her neck up and kissed him on the lips. Miroku kissed back while he pulled her hair out of its ponytail. Letting the elastic band hit the floor, he quickly flipped off the lights and pulled Sango close in another kiss, running his hands through the deep brown silk of her hair. He steered the two of them towards the bed, still kissing. But since they had school the next morning, they only made out for a few minutes before falling asleep in each others arms.  
  
~~~  
  
Upstairs, Sesshomaru stood by the open windows of his room. Rin was in bed already, asleep under the dark blue sheets. She was in a silky lavender nightgown. The dog demon was clad in a pair of dark blue silk pajama bottoms. The dark color set off his pale skin. His chest was bare and the moonlight shining in from the sky revealed a lean yet muscular body. His golden eyes reflected in the darkness, and the red stripes on his cheeks glowed in the moonlight. His long silver hair was unbound and hung freely past his waist.  
  
He thought back to what his brother had told him as he walked in the doorway.  
  
"Jinto, the guy at the door, had warned me that they might make an appearance. It seems that we have something that they want."  
  
"Something that they want, and that we have. What could it be?"  
  
"We were almost at the door when Kikyo stopped us. She went after Kagome."  
  
Realization came slowly to the demon.  
  
"It was then that Naraku showed up and stopped Kikyo. He started on Kagome too, insulting her and telling her some nasty stuff involving Tasuki's death. I was about to start something when Kagome got involved. She really vented on him."  
  
"Something that we have, something that they want. Hmm...From what it sounds like, I'd say more like someone." Sesshomaru looked out the window. His long silver hair swayed in the breeze that entered the room. "Inuyasha, I believe that your new woman is their newest target. Naraku wants her for himself, and I don't think he's going to stop coming at us until he gets her."  
  
Turning his head, he saw Rin asleep. The human girl, correction, woman, had stirred something deep inside the moment he had seen her. He had asked her out that day, and within a week they were officially going out and sharing his room and bed. And now the same thing had happened between his brother and Kagome. He looked back at Rin, his expression softening.  
  
Sesshomaru knew that he would put his life on the line for her without question or second thought. He didn't really understand the feelings that she gave him, but he knew that he didn't want to live without her. He also knew that Inuyasha had the same feelings for Kagome.  
  
'Brother, I don't want to see you hurt. Or your human mate-to-be. Let us hope that Naraku gives up before any lives are lost.'  
~~~  
  
In her room on the fifth floor, Kagome was the first one to wake up. Inuyasha was still asleep. Smiling, she debated on waking him up or not. She decided against it, since he looked so cute, and carefully began extricating herself from his arms. At first, he pulled her closer, but Kagome found that she could loosen his grip by gently rubbing his ears.  
  
She had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing as she felt and heard him purr. She loved that sound. Finally getting free of his arms, she stood and watched him sleep for a moment before walking to the door. She quietly opened the door and exited the room.  
  
Walking down the stairs, she glanced at a clock that was standing on a table on one of the landings. It said that it was almost 7 am. 'That means that Sango and Miroku have most likely just gotten up and should be in the kitchen for breakfast. That's good. I can tell them that I won't be going to school and ask them to get my homework.'  
  
Kagome entered the kitchen. She saw many of the younger members there. She smiled as she greeted them. "Ohayo, minna."  
  
Ayame and Katie were there, still in their pajamas as well. Ayame was wearing white pajama bottoms that had black spots on them and a white tank top. Katie was wearing her favorite color again, yellow. She had on yellow pajama pants and a white shirt that had a picture of a rubber ducky on it.  
  
"How are you feeling this morning, Kagome?"  
  
Kagome grinned. "Tons better, Ayame. All I needed was some sleep." She looked around. "Where are Kouga and Jake?"  
  
Katie waved her hand and shook her head. "Jake is still sleeping. The guy wouldn't stop snoring last night. I swear he kept me up half the night."  
  
Ayame nodded her head. "Yeah, Kouga's still asleep too. He rarely wakes up before noon, no matter how early he goes to sleep. Honestly, men are so lazy!"  
  
Kagome grinned. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Inuyasha was still asleep when I left him. But honestly, I think they had a good time last night. We should do stuff like that more often for them."  
  
Ayame and Katie exchanged glances and smiles. "So Kagome, you and Inuyasha slept together last night?"  
  
Kagome's cheeks blazed as she realized what they were thinking of. "No! Well, yeah. We slept together, but not in a sexual way or anything! Honest."  
  
The two older girls laughed at the younger girl's innocence. "Alright, we believe you. Besides, if you and Inu had slept together in that way, there is no way that you'd be down here this early. The guy wouldn't have let you leave his sight or arms or bed for an instant."  
  
Kagome blushed even redder. Katie started laughing again. The other members of the gang that were down there that early looked at the trio. Rolling their eyes, they turned their attention back to their breakfasts. Kagome began searching for food.  
  
Katie walked over to where Kagome was. She was currently digging through the fridge, trying to find something that wasn't instant or pre-made. "So Kagome, why are you up this early?"  
  
"Not too sure really. I just woke up and decided to come downstairs. I was hoping that Sango and Miroku would be down here. I need them to get my homework for today at school."  
  
Ayame frowned. "You aren't going?"  
  
"Nope. Inuyasha doesn't want me to today. He wants me to stay here so that he can teach me how to fight and defend myself against demons. Now that Naraku knows that I'm back, he doesn't want to take chances. Also, it's the only way the four of us get to go shopping on Saturday without escorts."  
  
Ayame looked up at a motion at the doorway. "Morning, Sango, Miroku. Glad to see that you are both up at a decent time before school starts."  
  
Sango waved to Ayame. She and Miroku had showered and were dressed for school. They noticed that Kagome was at the counter, having given up on finding something nutritious and settling for frozen waffles.  
  
Looking over, Kagome saw her friends and smiled. "Ohayo, Sango-chan, and Miroku. Listen, I have a favor to ask you. Could you get my homework for the day? Inuyasha wants me to stay here and learn how to fight and defend myself against demons."  
  
"Sure thing, Kagome. By the way, where is Inuyasha?" Miroku had found himself some Pop-tarts and had decided to eat them cold, since Kagome was using the toaster. He gave her lecherous grin.  
  
Kagome shrugged, ignoring the grin. "Still asleep, I think. He was when I got up."  
  
Sango frowned, seeing the grin and smacking Miroku on the arm. "How did you manage to get out of his arms? He's pretty possessive..."  
  
Kagome smirked. It was very Inuyasha-like. "That's for me to know and you never to find out." Her waffles popped up. "Yummy! Now, where is the syrup?" Her friends all sweat-dropped.  
  
~~~ Upstairs, Inuyasha woke to find something missing. That something was Kagome in his arms. Looking around, he saw that she was no longer in the room. Yawning, he got up and walked to the door. He sniffed the air. Her scent was fresh. She had left the room and most likely gone downstairs. He didn't know why. He had been planning on waking her with kisses again.  
  
Walking downstairs, he heard the sound of faint laughter coming from the kitchen. He padded over, feeling the cold floor with his feet as he walked through the living room and hallway. Peeking in the kitchen door, he saw Kagome closest to him. Her back was facing him. 'Perfect.'  
  
Miroku, Sango, Ayame, and Katie all saw the pajama clad Inuyasha behind Kagome. She was busy listening to Sango talking about the borders of the Youkai territory. Inuyasha held a finger up to his lips as he silently approached her from the back. Kagome felt someone standing behind her. But by then it was too late.  
  
Just as she was turning around, two strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her into a familiar chest. She looked up into twin pools of amber framed by silver. Inuyasha bent down and kissed her. Kagome melted into his arms. His kisses always seemed to do that to her.  
  
"I missed waking you up, Kags." He growled softly against her lips as he broke the kiss.  
  
Kagome leaned back into his chest. "Yeah, sorry about that. I would have gotten you up when I got up, but you looked so kawaii sleeping! And, I had to catch Sango and Miroku so that they could get my homework, since I'm staying with you today."  
  
Inuyasha blushed when she mentioned him looking cute. He bent down and nuzzled her neck. The mark he had made the night before was still there. He figured he wouldn't have to make it again for a few days. He planned on making that mark all the time, until Naraku was defeated and it was safe to make her his mate. "Yeah, I forgot about you needing to get your homework."  
  
Sango gave the two of them a wink before she grabbed Miroku by the back of his collar and dragged him out of the kitchen. Ayame and Katie followed. Inuyasha turned to the remaining teens in the kitchen. Raising an eyebrow at them, he asked "Don't you have to go get ready for school now or something?"  
  
The younger members all looked at each other and rolled their eyes. They knew what was going on. One of them, a girl Black level by the name of Miranda who had been at the club with them, smiled at Inuyasha as she got up from the table. "Sure thing, boss. We'll leave you and your girlfriend alone to have some quality time together. Just promise us that you won't desecrate the kitchen too much."  
  
The low growl and bark that escaped from the blushing hanyou sent the others running for their lives. Kagome just smiled and laughed. Inuyasha slowly turned around to face her.  
  
"And what do you find so funny about that?"  
  
"Hahaha, I'm sorry, Inu-chan. It's just that you look so kawaii when you glare like that." Kagome walked over to where he was. He had taken some threatening steps in Miranda's and her friends directions, but had stopped as they had left the kitchen. Kagome wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled up at him. It was a dazzling smile, one that expressed all of her feelings for him.  
  
Looking down at her, Inuyasha couldn't help but smile at her. 'She's mine and only mine and she'd better smile like that for no one else but me.' He thought, letting his possessiveness get the better of him, even in his mind.  
  
"Inu, when are we going to start my training?"  
  
"After breakfast. It's not good to train on an empty stomach." Then he remembered something from the night before. "And also, don't you have a phone call to make?"  
  
Kagome froze. "Kuso! I forgot to do it again! My mom is gonna be so worried."  
  
Inuyasha just laughed and hugged her tighter. "Chill, Kags. She'll understand. You can call her after we eat and before we train."  
  
Kagome nodded. "Ok. By the way, is there any reason why the only food you have in this house is either instant or ready made? I mean, honestly. I don't see the harm in you guys having some sort of normal food here, you know, the kind that you can make homemade meals from, and not instant?" She escaped his arms once again.  
  
While Kagome was talking, she was getting out some instant ramen. Putting it out on the counter, she found the pot that Shippo had used. She filled it with water and put it on the stove to start boiling.  
  
"Well, usually we're so busy that we don't have a chance to go to the store that much. And when we do, we tend to buy in bulk. That's why we have so much instant and ready made food. That and no one ever really cooks full meals. Occasionally, someone will bring food from home to cook here, but that's pretty rare. Most of the time, we eat out, or just snack on what's here."  
  
"Well, as soon as Sango gets back, I want to go grocery shopping. To get some sort of normal, not instant food in here. I might just end up making you a homemade meal too. I'm a pretty good cook."  
  
Inuyasha was focused on the ramen that Kagome was now adding to the boiling water. But at the mention of her cooking for him, he looked up. "Nani? You'd really cook food for me?"  
  
Kagome gave him a smile. "What do you think I'm doing right now?"  
  
He stuck his tongue out at him. "I meant cook non-instant food."  
  
"Of course I would, Inu-chan. Here, your ramen is ready."  
  
He downed the ramen in under a minute, leaving Kagome staring wide-eyed. He laughed at her reaction. "Come on, you need to go call your mom and we need to go get changed so that I can start your training."  
  
Kagome nodded and they left the kitchen, hand in hand.  
  
~~~ Kagome sat on her bed, dressed in gray sweats and running shoes. The sweats were big on her, and also hot. She was on the phone with her mom, and she was smiling with what they were saying.  
  
"Really mom? I'm so happy that you and Souta are with Jii-chan at the shrine. No, I'm fine here with Inuyasha. He's having me stay home from school today so that he can teach me how to fight and defend myself against demons and other.stuff. No mom, I told Sango and Miroku to get all of my homework from all of my classes, and to tell me if we have any tests coming up."  
  
Inuyasha stood on the other side of her door, listening. He couldn't hear what Kagome's mom was saying, but he could hear Kagome. She sounded happy. That was a good sign.  
  
Inuyasha was dressed in red sweats. He was also barefoot. He preferred it that way when he trained. He did have his gun, Tetsusaiga, with him though. He never when anywhere without it.  
  
The metal weapon with the words 'Tetsusaiga' inscribed on either side of the barrel or the engraving of a large fluffy dog and a crescent moon never left his side. It had been a gift from his late father. It held a clip of 30 bullets and it was quite powerful as guns went. It had a brother, 'Tensaiga', which belonged to Sesshoumaru. The two guns were similar, the only differences were the names on the side, and 'Tensaiga' was a little smaller than "Tetsusaiga.' The guns had been left to the brother's by their father in his will.  
  
Kagome continued with her mom on the phone. "Well, I'm going to the store today so that I can get some sort of normal food into this mansion. No, I won't go by myself. I'll most likely take Sango and Katie with me, and I have the feeling that Inuyasha will send some guys with us too, just to make sure that we're safe." She looked at her clock and realized the time. "Shoot. Mom, I gotta go. Inuyasha's waiting for me. Yea, I'll call back soon. And next time, I'll make sure that I call when I say I'll call. Yeah, I love you too. Ja ne."  
  
Kagome hung up the phone and smiled. She loved talking with her mom. Her mom and her brother were staying with her grandfather at the family shrine. They would be safe there. The shrine, as it turned out, was actually deep in Youkai territory. She had asked Sango about the boarders of their territory earlier that morning.  
  
Kagome got up and walked to the door. Inuyasha heard her coming and went to his own room. He acted like he was just coming out as she came out. She flashed a smile at him, and then tripped over her too long pant legs.  
  
Inuyasha caught her before she could hit the floor. They were his sweats, and they were way too long for her. She would have trouble in them when they started downstairs. He decided on a solution. He bent down and measured up her leg, until he got to mid-calf. Holding her still, he used his claws to cut the material away, so that the pants became capris. He stood and did the same to her arms, cutting the material away at her elbows. When he was done, she found herself able to move unhindered, and it was actually cooler.  
  
"Thanks, Inu-chan!" She flashed him one of her dazzling smiles.  
  
Inuyasha blushed. Her smiles always seemed to do that to him. "Feh, it was nothing. Come on; let's get down to the basement. You've got a lot to learn before the day is over."  
  
~*~*~*~ A/N: There are way too many people to thank. But for everyone who has ever reviewed my story, or even read it and not reviewed it, thank you thank you thank you! I'm doing this for you, minna! 


	8. Chapter 7

DW: Well, I finally found time in my semi-busy schedule to do another update. I'm watching 'Gone in 60 Seconds while doing this. And I have some good news, at least to me. My best friend, Katie, who also happens to be a character in this story, has actually started reading this work of art! Well, actually, I checked my reviews while at her house, she questioned me, and had me give her the address to the site. I hope you like what I'm doing, chica.  
  
Inu: Hey wench, she's the one you're gonna be living with, right?  
  
DW: Hell yeah. She's been my best friend since third grade and if everything goes right, which it will Katie, so chill, I'll be moving in with her at the beginning of summer. In fact, if I can convince her, I might start including her in my before chapter conversations. But, it's that time again. Time for me to do the disclaimer so that you all can get on with reading. I do not own anything by Rumiko Takahashi, except for the furry dog demon that is asleep still.  
  
~~~  
  
Kagome leaned against the wall, sweat covering her from head to toe. Inuyasha wasn't much better. They had been at it for almost 10 hours straight, and he was impressed.  
  
Not only was Kagome quick and agile, but she proved to be a fast learner too. She had learned much about demon fighting and defense that day. He finally felt her to be ready for the shopping trip, and anything else for that matter.  
  
They had started out with some easy fighting stances, and then moved on to some moves. They had put together some simple and basic combinations at first, and then Inuyasha taught her some of the more difficult moves that he knew. A few were only possible for demons to execute, but Kagome had tried them. Even though she didn't get them, she at least knew what to expect.  
  
Inuyasha also explained to her the weak spots that could be found on certain demons, and while she didn't want to, he had her try some of her new moves out on him. Neither one had enjoyed the outcome. Not only was Inuyasha down within seconds, but he was on the ground whimpering from the pain. Kagome immediately flew to his side and helped him up. She hadn't realized just how hard she had kicked him, or how sensitive the area was.  
  
But, a few hours later, when they had started using weapons, Kagome found herself being the one on the ground. That is, until she got the hang of it and could block the large pole that was being swung at her with her own.  
  
Inuyasha soon found that she worked better with weapons that required aiming and throwing. It was quite by accident, but it was her strong point. Arrows, throwing stars, daggers, etc. Anything that could be aimed, thrown, or shot, she was good at. She had a good habit of anticipating where a moving target would be and still hitting the direct center. He decided that her lighter weapons would be a small but powerful crossbow that would fit on her wrist and that she could hide among her clothes, as well as a few throwing daggers that could double as close contact weapons.  
  
They continued with shooting and throwing weapons. Inuyasha had shown her how to aim, load, clean, and shoot the various projectile weapons that they had in the weapons room, including the impressive gun collection.  
  
Kagome quickly found a favorite among the guns. It was a small gun, compared to others, and a bright, shiny silver color. It carried a clip of 25 small bullets. It was old, Inuyasha could tell that, but he thought that they still made them. If not, he would just have it custom done. He quickly memorized the style and model, so that he could order her a new one, along with a little something extra on it.  
  
At the end of their session, Inuyasha had Kagome go through everything that they had learned. Even though she was tired, she still put effort into it. Her kicks and punches landed right on target and were strong and fast, her aim never wavered, and she kept her calm when things got out of control, and her speed was phenomenal. He also noticed that her body moved to a slight rhythm, almost as if she were dancing, as she attacked him and evaded his attacks.  
  
Inuyasha called a stop to the training. It was almost 7 in the evening. They were both tired and hungry. They hadn't eaten anything since lunch, and that had just been a bowl of ramen each. Inuyasha waved her over with his arm and enveloped her in a hug.  
  
"Kags, you did well today. You have got to be the quickest learner that I have ever seen. Not to mention the fastest human besides Tasuki and Jake. What do you say we go upstairs, shower and dress, and I take you out for dinner?"  
  
Kagome squeezed him back. "Sounds good to me, Inu-chan." She smiled at him and stretched up to receive a kiss. They stayed kissing as they walked up the stairs and into the hallway. The kiss broke when they needed air. They walked in tired silence up the stairs, where they parted. Inuyasha used his own shower in his room, and Kagome took the bathroom down the hall. About a half hour later, they met up again outside their rooms.  
  
Kagome was now dressed in a pair of sky blue capris, a white spaghetti strap tank top that was gathered in the front and showed her stomach, and a light silver jacket. She wore white canvas shoes, and had a curved stud with a blue star charm through her belly button. Her hair was pulled back away from her face but fell down her back.  
  
Inuyasha was wearing a white t-shirt with a red over shirt, baggy blue jeans, and red Vans. His hair was loose with his two normal forelocks framing his face, and he had his chain wallet in his back pocket. His ears flicked back and forth as he heard noise from downstairs, alerting him that something wasn't right.  
  
Inuyasha kept his arm tight around her as they walked downstairs. Looking down at the ground floor, they wondered why there were so many people in the mansion. It was a Wednesday and a school night, and usually the mansion would be empty as the members went home to be with family or out with friends at clubs. They entered the entrance hall, still confused but now alert.  
  
Sesshomaru was by the door when he spotted Inuyasha and Kagome coming down the stairs. His cold eyes were not amused in the least, and something about his stance immediately put the two on edge. Slowly, Inuyasha unwrapped his arm from around Kagome and placed it on her shoulder, a silent command to wait. He continued towards his brother.  
  
"Oi Sessh, what's up? Why are there so many people here?"  
  
Sesshomaru looked at his younger half brother. "It would appear that while you and your love have been in hiding, some of our own were attacked by the Spiders. It would seem that the bitch Kikyo is trying to start something with you and your girl."  
  
Inuyasha immediately got worried. His face turned seriously grim. "Did we lose anyone? Who all was attacked?"  
  
Sesshomaru shook his head. "No, there were no deaths. The victims are Miranda, Alex, Jenna, Matt, Akiko, Ayumi, Kohaku, and Shippou. From what we can determine, Kohaku and Shippou were walking them all home from the mansion. They were all heading for Ayumi's house when the attack came. It was in our territory."  
  
Inuyasha grimly nodded. It was pretty usual for groups of the gang's members to walk home together. Kohaku and Shippou had mentioned something about going over to Ayumi's house, to play video games. Inuyasha frowned. Something was nagging at his mind. "Who was in charge of that bit of territory to guard? That person should have been monitoring the area for Spider attacks."  
  
Sesshomaru began to catch on to what he was getting at. "A Yellow named Maria or something like that. She has been in charge of that area for almost a year now. Brother, are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting...?" Sesshomaru was seeing what he was getting at. Naraku had possibly gotten a spy inside their gang.  
  
Inuyasha confirmed his suspicions with his confused answer. "Maria? I don't remember us having a Yellow level named Maria in charge of that section. I remember putting a Yellow named Marin in charge of that area, but not a Maria. Where is this Maria?"  
  
Sesshomaru shook his head. He didn't know. It was official. Naraku had managed to get a Spider into the Youkai and attack them. And he had attacked Kohaku and Shippo, who Inuyasha thought of as younger brothers. That was like Naraku asking Inuyasha to come get him. Not too smart on their enemies part.  
  
Inuyasha then noticed that something was missing in the room. A certain scent. Looking over to where he had told her to wait, he could see that Kagome was gone. "What the fuck? I told her to wait there."  
  
It was then that a new smell broke through the others. Fear. He could smell Kagome's fear and at the same time, a wounded Shippo came running into the room from the hospital wing. Midoriko came after him. She was helping the medial staff bandage the wounded.  
  
"Inuyasha! That girl, the Yellow, she's a fake! She was sent by Kikyo! She beat up Marin, stole her necklace and told us that Marin was sick, and that she was the replacement for the day! She's after Kagome!" Shippou yelled as he clutched his arm. It had a nasty slash down it.  
  
Inuyasha growled as fear and anger took hold in his chest. "Fucking shit, where the hell is Kagome?" His yell attracted the attentions of everyone in the room. Looking around, he gave one order. "Damn it, find her, now!"  
  
~*~*~*~ A/N: Ok, how many of you all thought something completely different while reading the first paragraph of the chapter? I'm planning on a possible lemon later on, but not right now. It will happen, just not at this time. And now the part where I thank all my super cool fans.  
  
Jemstar : I'll try to update sooner and faster, but it's all riding on when I get the time.  
  
Inu Faceness : I'm glad that I'm proving you wrong. Inuyasha says hi back!  
  
Laverderrose98 : Ask and you shall receive!  
  
babygirl20008 : Well, your waiting paid off. Here's an update for ya.  
  
animeprincezz : Don't ya love it? Waff is the best stuff on earth, besides Snapple Peach Tea.  
  
i luv rock music : I take it by your name that you love rock music, huh? Me too! My fave bands are Godsmack, Disturbed, Metallica, Stained, and Cold. I'm glad that you think my story is awesome. I think it is too. If you're patient, more will come!  
  
dragon_ game : Thank you, and here's your update.  
  
nallely : Thank you! I am a full supporter of kikyo bashing. I'm glad that I'm not alone with that opinion.  
  
Enchanted Dreams : I'm glad, and thank you!  
  
flippa : No way in hell is this over yet. I still have a lot more planned.  
  
katrina : thanks for understanding. I'm glad that you enjoy this so much. I'll try to update more quickly, but I can't make any promises.  
  
KagomeHigurashi66 : I hate her too! Thank you for the review, and here's an update for ya. 


	9. Chapter 8

DW: Ok, gomen nasai, minna. I know I said that this would be out a week or so ago, but I ended up rewriting this entire chapter. This is what I came up with so far. I now have internet in my room so I will be able to post more often.  
  
Inu: Yeah, and it only took you getting a 'virus' or whatever you call it on your mom's machine.  
  
DW: Yeah, but at least it got things happening. Even if it did end up crashing my moms computer. Oh well. Enough about this. Let's get on with the story!  
  
~~~  
  
Kagome looked up at Inuyasha as Sesshomaru spoke. He slowly unwrapped his arm from her and placed it on her shoulder, telling her to stay there and not move. She obeyed, and wished for once that she had the type of hearing that he had. She wanted to know what was going on.  
  
Kagome watched as he walked away from her and across the room, over to his brother, where they started talking. All around here were other members of the gang, all wanting to know what was going on and if they would be retaliating.  
  
Suddenly, in the midst of the confusion in the room, Kagome felt a very sharp object press against her back. She stiffened and her eyes widened in fear and surprise. She glanced back to see a tall dark haired girl with dark eyes staring at her, an evil expression on her face.  
  
And...a certain familiar decoration on her neck, one that filled Kagome with fear. The taller girl whispered softly into her ear, "Make any sort of sound or signal, and you will be dead before you hit the ground."  
  
Kagome tried not to panic. She had seen the Black Spider tattoo partially hidden by make-up and her shirt collar, and a Yellow Youkai Tribal necklace. She had been sent there to get her, to take her to Naraku. The girl reached around and grabbed Kagome's arm and slowly pulled back.  
  
Kagome gave one last look at Inuyasha before letting the other girl lead her away through the crowd of people. Inuyasha hadn't even been aware of what had happened. He was too deep in conversation with Sesshomaru. 'Inuyasha...help me!'  
  
Kagome looked around wildly as the girl directed her to the back of the mansion and into the kitchen. It was empty, and Kagome finally spoke. "Who are you, and why are you doing this?"  
  
The girl said nothing as she pushed Kagome out the door that led to the backyard. She seemed to not care about killing Kagome for speaking now that they were away from everyone else. The girl pushed her again, this time allowing the blade she carried to dig a little deeper, so that it pierced her jacket and shirt and nicked her skin. Kagome cried out in pain. Her body, still tired from the training session, was in no mood to handle this new threat.  
  
The two had almost made it a good distance from the house when suddenly the backyard was flooded with light. The girl who held Kagome captive swore. She grabbed her arm and flipped Kagome around in one movement so that Kagome's back was to her chest. Her arm wrapped itself around Kagome's chest, pinning her arms to her side. She pulled the long knife blade away from her back and placed it against her neck. Kagome froze. 'This is not happening. Why? Why do things like this happen to me?'  
  
The kitchen door opened and two white blurs streaked out, followed by a mob of gang members. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru saw the two figures on the back lawn. One was a strange dark haired girl who was holding a knife to...shit. It was Kagome. This female had actually snuck in and managed to kidnap Kagome, and right out from under their noses.  
  
Inuyasha was now seeing red. This was not happening. He could see that Kagome was still tired from their training session, and the other girl had a blade pressed to her throat. Kagome had fear in her eyes, but she looked like she was trying to stay calm.  
  
The rest of the gang spilled out of the house, realizing what was going on. They formed a large semi-circle around the two girls. Sesshomaru spoke first. His voice was calm and low. Not a good thing coming from him. "Girl. I believe your name is Maria. Why are you doing this?"  
  
Kagome took the opportunity to point out just who her attacker belonged to, unaware that everyone already knew. "She's a Black Spider! I can see her tatt-" Before she could finish, the knife was drawn up closer to her neck, pressing into it. No blood had been drawn yet, but Kagome was silenced. She took the hint to stay quiet.  
  
That drew a deep growl and harsh bark from Inuyasha. He bared his claws and fangs and tried to run over to her. But, something kept him back. More like someone, a lot of someones. Kagome could see Sesshomaru, Miroku, Kouga, and Jake trying to restrain him. They knew that until Kagome was free, her captor could hurt her if Inuyasha tried to make any moves. And that would make everything a whole lot worse.  
  
The kidnapper, Maria, just laughed. "You're all bakas. My mistress, Kikyo, demanded this girl for our master, Naraku. That is why I am doing this. You are all such fools! You let in one of your enemies. You see, we learned from that baka, Tasuki. And Kikyo knew how to get to you, Inuyasha. Just jump some of the younger members of your group. You care for them as if they were your own family. That is your weakness, and now look what it has brought you! Your woman is in our hands now!"  
  
At the mention of Tasuki being called a baka and Inuyasha's caring for the younger members being trashed, something broke free inside of Kagome. It was 2 years worth of anger and fear and the strong need to shut up the bitch that was holding her. Kagome couldn't stand it anymore. She had to fight back. Her body may be tired, but it could still move. And as long as it could move, she could fight.  
  
In a strange combination, the things that both Tasuki and Inuyasha had taught her mixed in her mind, along with everything else she knew about fighting and dancing. Somehow, she knew just what to do. It was time to fight back. She allowed her instinct to take over, taking what she was taught and using it.  
  
In the lowest and coldest voice she could muster, Kagome spoke to her kidnapper. "Bitch, I don't care who you work for, but no one, and I mean NO ONE, can disrespect both Tasuki and Inuyasha around me and live. You should have left me and my family alone. You're gonna pay, you Black Spider whore!" She yelled the last part loud enough for everyone to hear. She had had enough. It was time to make her move.  
  
~~~  
  
A/N: Yeah yeah, I know. It's a short chapter, but I will be posting more at a later date. But now, I would like to thank the people who keep me writing and posting!  
  
hanyou741 : I know, I know. Well, better late than never, right?  
  
ShadowStar666 : Thanks a lot! I actually got the necklace idea from a necklace one of my friends lent me one time. I'll have to read your fic. I always love reading gang fics.  
  
Laverderrose98 : Dude! Where have you been? I've missed talking to ya. Hope you enjoy!  
  
Lil-strange-person : I'm glad you love it. And I'm also glad you found it again! My friends and I actually bookmarked the page so that we can get to it easier.  
  
Lammora : Glad you love my fic. Ask and you shall receive an update. Now the question is, what's gonna happen to her now?  
  
Shero : done! Here's your update.  
  
DarkenWolf : I've been told that patience is a virtue, but there are somethings that are just too good to wait for, and a pain to wait for.  
  
light demon : Thanks, and here's your update.  
  
Queen of fire : I'm glad! Thank you!  
  
Keitsurine : Thank you, thank you, and thank you! I like their mansion too. It's based off of a blueprint I did when I was doing Architecture in high school. It was supposed to be my 'dream house'. The teacher later informed me that my dream house would cost just over one million dollars to build. Guess I was dreaming big!  
  
Nalley : Thanks. Kaede and Inuyasha? One word...EEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That would keep me up for weeks too!  
  
whiterose03 : Thanks, and I'm glad its one of your favorites. A lot of people have told me that. I guess I'm doing ok with the story!  
  
Anime-Luver32 : Dude, kick your friends asses for dissing chick flick stuff and tell them to get in touch with their feminine sides. My guy friends are big fans of the romance stories I write, mostly cause they are characters of some sort in them. And as for the college I'm in? Well let's see. When I started writing this, I was going to Cottey College (2 year private all girls college somewhere in the Midwest), right now I'm going to the local community college, and within the next few months, I will be going to Chico State. Go Chico!  
  
KagomeHigurashi66 : Yes! I knew someone out there would think that! Glad I wasn't the only one with a slightly hentai mind. And I mean that with love of course.  
  
ish : I really don't know. Why does Kagome always disobey? Hmm...I'm going to have to ponder this for awhile. I'll get back to you on that.  
  
shanaka : thanks, more action is on the way!  
  
animeprincezz : Oh don't worry, Inuyasha fully plans on saving the day...if he gets the chance to. Intriguing, no?  
  
Inu Faceness : I'm glad and honored to be one of the ones you don't know personally to have proven you wrong. Inu and I are totally rocking here. I'm introducing him to the beauty that is the band Disturbed, although at a much lower volume than normal. I really don't want to damage his cute little ears.  
  
Weirdo's Rule : I know it wasn't nice. That's why I did it! Muwahahahaha! 


	10. Chapter 9

DW: OOO! I got a bit done, so I decided to spare you all the suspense of waiting a month. Hopefully, this should tie you over for a week or two, until I move and everything gets stable. Gomen in advance. Fight scenes just really aren't my thing, so I'm hoping that this doesn't totally suck.  
  
Inu: Hey! This fish tank ain't getting any lighter!  
  
DW: Oh, looks like I gotta go help my Inu-chan move more stuff out of my room. I'll do the review responses with the next update. Jan e, minna!  
  
~~~  
  
Having made her challenge, Kagome pushed forward slightly, allowing the sharp blade to cut into her neck. It hurt, but it gave her the space she needed to deliver her attack. As she pushed forward, Kagome dropped her shoulders and rammed both her elbows into Maria's chest and gut. The girl's eyes widened in surprise as she felt the breath leave her body. She dropped the knife, and let the now enraged Kagome escape her arms.  
  
Kagome jumped away and turned to face Maria, who had managed to get her wind back. Kagome delivered a powerful snap kick to the side, which Maria barely managed to block. Maria then returned with several punches to Kagome's chest. Kagome managed to deflect the blows to her side, but she thought she felt something give way as they connected.  
  
Ignoring her pain, she then delivered an elbow to the side of Maria's face, causing her lip to split. Kagome didn't allow herself to get slow. As soon as her elbow connected, she pulled it back and did a back flip away, right as Maria grabbed for the blade she had dropped.  
  
Inuyasha stopped struggling when he saw what was going on. Everyone was staring, unsure of what to do. Kagome was fighting with her kidnapper, and fighting as though she had been doing it all her life. And the best part was that she was winning.  
  
But then, the Maria girl grabbed the knife she had dropped. Inuyasha could smell Kagome's blood, and he could see the red on the knife blade, as well as on her neck. She was tired, but was somehow finding the energy she needed to go on.  
  
Kagome saw Maria pick up the blade and she dropped into a fighting stance, both legs spread to keep her balance and both arms up in defensive positions. 'Shit. Now she has the advantage.' But inside her head, she heard the words of the two men she loved. Tasuki's gentle voice mixed with Inuyasha's rough one, becoming one. 'You can do it. I believe in you. And I love you.'  
  
Kagome then heard just Inuyasha's voice in her mind, repeating what he had said at the club. 'I will give you my strength, because it is you who gives me strength.' She felt her strength slowly return to her as she heard his words. She heard a slight hissing sound. Kagome looked up just in time for the blade to swing down. She took a half step back and it missed her, but barely. She could feel the wind created from the knife stroke.  
  
'That was way too close.'  
  
Kagome wasted no time. She had to end this fight, and fast. 'But, I do not want to be a killer. Not like this.'  
  
Her neck was throbbing from the shallow cut and she could feel her blood running down her neck. Maria continued to slash at her wildly, trying to score hits. Kagome used her speed and agility to avoid the knife, a rhythm starting as she dodged and Maria attacked.  
  
In her mind, a rhythm began, and her body began matching it to the movement of the blade. She twisted, swayed, jumped, and rolled her body as the knife came at her. To those watching, it looked as though the girl was dancing while the Black Spider attacked.  
  
Kagome narrowly rolled her hips and stomach away from a slash that could have taken her down. 'I've got to end this. I need just one wrong move from her.'  
  
Then, she saw her opening. Maria left her left side open to attack as she drew the knife up and threw it. With all of her strength, Kagome kicked up, her shoe connecting with Maria's ribcage right as the knife hit her in the left shoulder. Kagome felt something give way in the girl's chest and heard a sick cracking sound, but then her thoughts were a blur as the sharp blade pierced her skin and slid home into her body.  
  
"YAAAAAHHH!!!"  
  
Kagome screamed and dropped to her knees. She gasped and sucked in air as her shoulder responded to the foreign object now residing in it, trying not to cry from the intense burning pain that spread all over her body. Maria dropped to her knees in agony as well, seeing the knife deep in Kagome's left shoulder, the tip poking out of her back.  
  
Kagome looked down and to the side. She could see the handle sticking out, the blade completely imbedded in her flesh just above her breast. Her body was telling her to curl up in a ball and give in. Her blood was quickly soaking through her jacket and shirt, leaving two red teardrop stains as it flowed down her arm, back, and chest.  
  
Kagome looked at Maria, who was panting and wheezing. She didn't seem able to stand up. It was all the opportunity Kagome needed. She ripped the knife out, not caring about the pain the action caused or the blood that shot out with the action, and thrust it at Maria's neck. Maria's dark eyes widened in shock as Kagome halted the blade's bloody tip at her throat, sparing her life.  
  
Kagome slowly stood up, still holding the knife. Her left arm dangled uselessly, unable to move due to the wounds. She looked down at the kneeling girl. "Bitch, I told you not to insult the guy I love, or mess with my family. But as much as I'd like to get revenge right now, I won't kill. Not this way. I've beaten you. I'm giving you a second chance. It's more than Tasuki ever got."  
  
Kagome dropped the knife with disgust and turned around. She grabbed her shoulder with her right hand, trying to stop the flow of her lifeblood. She knew that the knife had done some major damage to her body. She started to slowly walk towards Inuyasha, who had freed himself from the others and was running to her.  
  
Her steps were becoming harder and harder for her to take, and her vision was starting to blur slightly. Her body was reacting to the loss of blood and all the stress it had been through. Vaguely, Kagome was aware of the warm liquid running down her arm and onto her hand, where it dripped off of her fingers.  
  
Inuyasha reached her and caught her in a gentle hug as she collapsed against him. Kagome looked up at him, smiling, and her eyes half closed. "I guess you were right. I did need to learn that stuff." Inuyasha just pulled her closer, nuzzling her neck, glad that she was alive. Sniffing the air around her for a second, he gently licked at the cut on her neck, allowing his tongue to heal the wound. Kagome stayed silent as he worked, closing her eyes as she concentrated on willing her pain away.  
  
No one had moved. But then, Maria grabbed her knife and stood, shaking with the effort and having trouble breathing. Kagome had done some serious damage with that last kick. But, Maria knew that she could not fail. Kikyo had said that the girl must either be captured alive, or killed. Plan A, which was to capture her alive, had failed, and so the only option left was to kill her.  
  
Raising the knife, Maria brought it back, preparing to throw it into Kagome's unprotected back. Inuyasha saw this as he glanced up. Growling, he quickly swung Kagome around so that she was behind him, drew his gun and took aim, all in one movement. He saw Maria throw the knife at the two. With his free hand, he caught the blade by the handle and at the same time, squeezed the trigger.  
  
Maria's head snapped back as the bullet hit her between the eyes. She fell to the ground in a dead heap. Sango had rushed over to Kagome when Inuyasha had pushed her behind him and was now holding her. Inuyasha dropped the knife and lowered his gun, sticking it into the waistband of his jeans. He turned, red spots on his shirt, and took the semi-conscious Kagome from Sango, carefully picking her up. Carrying her as if she was made of glass, he walked towards the house, calling for the medical staff to get into the hospital wing.  
  
~~~  
~~~  
  
Inuyasha heard her scream of pain, but it froze him in place. He watched in slow motion as his Kagome fell to her knees, her opponent doing the same. He stared as his Kagome ripped the blade out of her shoulder. Blood flew from the wound as she grimaced. Then, she turned with the blade in her hand to Maria, who was on her knees in pain from the kick to the side. He watched as his Kagome, her eyes full of pain, sadness, and anger, thrust the bloody knife at the girl's neck. It stopped within millimeters of her throat.  
  
Kagome's tired voice could be heard over the silence. "Bitch, I told you not to mess with the guy I love, or with my family. But as much as I'd like to, I won't kill. Not this way. I've beaten you. I'm giving you a second chance. It's more than Tasuki ever got."  
  
Then Kagome dropped the knife, a disgusted look on her face, and walked towards him. Her hand was on her shoulder, trying to stop her blood, which was now dripping off of her fingers. She was tired, sweating, bleeding, and breathing hard. But she had won.  
  
Inuyasha quickly ran to her side and caught her in a hug right as she collapsed. He was surprised to see her smiling. Then she spoke. "I guess you were right. I did need to learn that stuff." Inuyasha was just relieved that she was alive and in his arms. But, she was bleeding. Her shoulder would need serious medical attention, but he could do something about the cut on her throat.  
  
He gently nuzzled her neck. He had seen the cut and knew that it wasn't that deep. If it had been, she wouldn't be living still. He sniffed to see if she were bleeding anywhere else except her shoulder and neck. Not finding anything else, he turned his attention to the cut. Hoping that she wouldn't think of him as disgusting, he began to lick the wound, cleaning it and mending the skin.  
  
As his tongue passed over the cut and the blood disappeared, the skin began to heal almost immediately, not leaving a scar. It was a special power of inu youkai. Their saliva had potent healing properties. Kagome just stayed silent, somehow knowing that she shouldn't move. As his tongue passed over her wound, it immediately healed.  
  
As he gave the final lick, Inuyasha raised his eyes to Maria. She was now standing, and had the knife in her hand. 'What does that bitch think she's doing?' He saw her raise the knife, bringing it back to throw. 'Oh, hell no. Kagome gave her another chance, and she's blowing it. Gomen, Kags, but she's gonna die now!'  
  
Inuyasha quickly swung Kagome around so that she was behind him, pulled out his gun and aimed for the spot between her eyes. Maria released the knife and it flew at him. Inuyasha stretched out his left hand and caught the blade by the handle, the reddened tip pointing at his chest, drops of Kagome's blood flicking off onto his shirt from the force of being thrown. At the same time, he squeezed the trigger on his gun.  
  
He watched as the girl was thrown backwards as the bullet hit her. He had shot her right between the eyes. 'No way is she getting up after that.' The body fell, and he lowered his arm. Kagome was safe now. He dropped the knife and stuck his gun in the waistband of his jeans.  
  
Turning around, he saw that Sango was now supporting Kagome, who was still bleeding from her shoulder and on the verge of unconsciousness. He scooped her up and carried her into the house, yelling for the medical staff.  
  
~*~*~*~ 


	11. Chapter 10

  
  
DW: Ah, moving is so much fun! Trying to lug most of your life upstate for two hours, during a thunderstorm, and then up a flight of stairs...is not as fun as it sounds. Luckily, playing a 50 turn game of Mario Party 1 is.  
  
Course, finding out once you've moved up that your goldfish is sick, your Shubunkin is trying to make it feel better, and your brand spanking new sucker fish is dead isn't a happy situation. Neither is finding out a few days later that the goldfish in question is the source of the plague in your tank and is now dead, and that your roommate is too chicken to scoop him out of the tank while you're at work.  
  
Luckily, the disease that killed of my goldfish, Inu Yasha, and my sucker fish, Ryu, has spared my Shubunkin, Sushi. And for those of you wondering, a Shubunkin is a Chinese Koi. It kinda looks like a goldfish...turned inside out.  
  
Any who, this chapter gave me a little trouble. Mostly cause I had writers block for most of it. So sorry for getting it out so late.  
  
INU: Yeah, the wench has just been sitting there for hours, just staring at that screen. She even made me go to a memorial service in the bathroom for that dinky little fish that was named after me!  
  
DW: Oh hush it. Is this the thanks I get for getting you out of my parents house? Or would you rather be back dodging my sister as she tries to cut off your ears?  
  
INU: Grumbles  
  
DW: Cheer up, and have an ear rub!  
  
INU: purring  
  
DW: And so now, while my mate purrs his heart out, have fun and enjoy the latest chapter of my fic. And once again, I'm so sorry for getting this out late. Although I must say one thing...this chapter is dedicated to katrina and ShatteredKitten89, for making my day with our fabulous chats last night!  
  
Sesshoumaru, Miroku, Sango, Jake, Katie, Ayame, and Kouga all watched Inuyasha leave carrying Kagome. The fight had been intense. And Kagome had come out the victor, partially thanks to Inuyasha. They had to hand it to the girl. She had beaten her opponent, and had even given her a second chance. There weren't that many people who would do that, especially after what Maria had said and done.  
  
Miroku turned to Jake, remembering how Kagome had fought and avoided that knife. "Jake, you saw the way she fought, didn't you."  
  
The other boy only nodded. He was watching images replaying in his mind, studying how Kagome had fought.  
  
"What fighting style was that exactly?"  
  
Jake took his time in answering. "It looked like a combination of some of the most effective fighting styles and techniques I've ever seen... Speed mixed with instinct, and a little luck and skill. She kept digging for energy and strength, and used it to her advantage... A potent combination that was executed to perfection, I might add."  
  
Miroku looked at him, along with everyone else. "What do you mean?"  
  
Jake sighed. "You mean you guys didn't notice? She was using and combining both Tasuki's and Inuyasha's moves and fighting styles there, and added her own twist to it. You saw how she kept avoiding that knife right? It looked like she was dancing; like how she was dancing at the club. Even though she was being slashed at, she kept moving to a silent beat. And that last kick of hers broke ribs on that other girl. I think she may have invented a new style tonight, one that is totally her own."  
  
He slowly grinned. "I think that if she manages to develop it, hell, if she remembers doing it, then she is gonna be one hell of a fighter. Naraku and Kikyo won't stand a chance if they ever go up against her."  
  
Inside the mansion, it was pure chaos. Everywhere one looked, a gangster was running around on his or her way to a meeting, crowding into the hospital wing, or going to their assigned locations. After this newest attack, Sesshoumaru, and especially Inuyasha, were out for blood. Specifically, the blood of a certain demon whose name started with the letter N and his nasty whore of a girlfriend.  
  
For those members who went to the hospital wing, they were greeted by nothing more than a thick tension in the atmosphere.  
  
Well, that and the frantic sounds of the medical staff rushing around trying to save Kagome's life.  
  
The knife had apparently done more damage than previously thought. The sharp blade had nicked part of her aorta (an: I'm not too sure if this is the right one or not. Just imagine that the knife hit the artery that feeds her heart, k?), and she was losing blood fast.  
  
No one had anticipated this. When Inuyasha had brought Kagome into the hospital wing, she had been awake. She had managed to stay conscious through Kaede's evaluation, and had just finished taking a special herbal potion to relieve her pain when she had taken a turn for the worse.  
  
For those outside the door of the room that Inuyasha had taken Kagome into, they could only listen and wait. Seconds ticked by, seeming like hours.  
  
And then, they heard a noise that sent cold dread deep into the pits of everyone's souls.  
  
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPP  
  
AN: Oh yeah, who hates me right now? ducks to avoid the Britney Spears cd thrown her my way EEK! Alright, alright! You win, I won't stop now. Here, you Britney Spears Cd chucking freaks! Read and be happy!  
  
The long high pitched whine of Kagome's heart monitor flat lining had Inuyasha in a panic. She had been awake just a few moments ago...and now she was dying! He found himself pushed to the side as the head medic, Kaede, quickly took charge of the situation.  
  
"She's losing too much blood. Get me some pressure bandages and three pints of type specific blood. Hurry, people! Mai, get her shirt off. I need to get to her wound!"  
  
As her medical staff ran around doing her bidding, Kaede used a pair of medical scissors to cut away Kagome's clothes from her upper body. Inuyasha had to keep from growling when he saw the other males in the room stealing glances from his girlfriend's naked torso.  
  
He had to bite his lip hard and cross his arms tight against his chest to prevent the demon instincts rolling just beneath the surface erupting. It was taking all he had inside to keep from grabbing the young woman's pale form from the table and running. The only thing that stopped him completely was the fact that she would die unless she received the medical attention that Kaede was capable of giving.  
  
His attention was snapped back to reality when he heard a new high pitched whine fill the room. Looking over, he saw Kaede holding two paddles attached to the machine creating the sound.  
  
"Charge to 200." Kaede cried, watching Kagome's pale face intently. The machine's straight whine began to beep.  
  
"Clear!"  
  
A thump was heard as Kagome's entire body arched off the table. Everyone's attention snapped to her heart monitor. It was still flat lining.  
  
"Charge to 250. Clear!"  
  
Another thump, followed by the sight of Kagome lifting off the table.  
  
And still, she continued to flat line.  
  
"Charge to 400. Clear!"  
  
Again, nothing.  
  
Inuyasha was beginning to lose hope. They had shocked her body again and again. They had continuously pumped blood as fast as she was losing it.  
  
Kaede gave another order as a new bag of blood and saline was hung and the life giving fluids poured into the poor girls body on the table.  
  
"Charge to 600! Clear!"  
  
Inuyasha held his breath as the thump and sight of Kagome arching off the table was both seen and heard. His ears flicked forward to catch any sort of sound.  
  
There.  
  
Beep...beep...beep...beep...beep...  
  
To everyone's relief, especially a certain silver-haired inu hanyou's, Kagome's heart began beating again.  
  
Kaede quickly placed an oxygen mask on her face and checked her IV's. She then noticed that the pressure bandage that had been stemming the flow of the life-sustaining fluid was quickly becoming red.  
  
"I'm going to need some 3-0 silk and a needle, along with another two pints of type specific blood." The old woman then turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, do you know if she is injured anywhere else besides her shoulder and neck?"  
  
The half dog demon shook his head, all the while stroking his beloved's hair. "No, I could only smell blood on her neck and her shoulder. I could be wrong, but I doubt it."  
  
The entire time the two talked, Kaede worked with the needle and silk thread to close up the now slightly bleeding stab wound. Luckily, the potion that Kagome had drunk before falling unconscious prevented her from feeling any of the pain that her treatments were inflicting upon her. If it hadn't, however, she would be in a world of pain.  
  
Finishing her stitching with a few careful knots, Kaede cleaned and covered the wound with some sterile bandages and wrappings. She then pulled a warm blanket out from a drawer and covered Kagome up to her shoulders. Giving Inuyasha a glance and seeing that he needed some time alone with her patient, she ordered everyone else out of the room.  
  
Before exiting, she looked over her shoulder. "Inuyasha, if you will be needing anything else of me, just press the red button by this door. It will send out an alarm to all medical staff, and we shall be here on the double.  
  
The hanyou gang leader nodded his thanks to the healer. "I will, and Kaede?"  
  
She turned slightly, already anticipating what he was going to say. "Hai?"  
  
"Thank you...for everything...and especially for not giving up on her. She means a lot to me."  
  
Kaede smiled. "I know, Inuyasha. I know." Having said that, she dimmed the lights and let the two alone to have some quality time to themselves. Kami- sama knows that they needed it after the night they had had. Besides, she now had a dead body in the backyard to see to.  
  
AN: And so there! I finally managed to break out of my writers block and get this chapter out! Forgive me if not everything seems to make sense or add up. I'm putting years of watching 'ER' (which I also do not own) to use. I hope that you all enjoy this latest installment of 'One More Chance for Love'! And now, for the review responses! I've come to the realization that a lot have been sent in, so please forgive me if I do not mention you, or if I mention you twice.  
  
hanyou741: thanks for bearing with me. I know I was supposed to update a while ago, but stuff happens, ya know?  
  
ShadowStar666: that's too bad. It's cool about the jewelry thing though, I'm still gonna read it.  
  
babygirl20008: As you could see, serious ass kicking was given out.  
  
meqan: thanks!  
  
Death Scythe X-9: thanks!  
  
yasha21: don't be. I updated for ya!  
  
Weirdo's Rule: Oh yes, so evil and mean I am.  
  
Chibi-Kerochan: oh no, there will be more chapters. Starting with this one. Thanks for the compliments. Just wait til later. Kagome goes through some serious personality quirks!  
  
My Love Inuyasha: I'm glad you did the search, and I'm glad that I was able to inspire you!  
  
Lavenderrose98: It's ok. I totally understand. I'll have to email you sometime!  
  
shanaka  
  
Inu Faceness: Yes, Disturbed is pretty neat. And I thought I recognized your name from somewhere. I totally love your fic, Hanyou in the Heart!  
  
INIEisMINE!!  
  
DarkenWolf  
  
babegalanime  
  
Panther  
  
DogDemon: and no, I'm not dead. Although I have the feeling that I am well on my way if I don't keep updating.  
  
kawaiixazn  
  
Nalley  
  
Sho Rai  
  
Vashies-Girl: Thanks for reviewing! And just so you know, the R rating is going to be coming into play in a few more chapters. If I could, it would most likely be NC-17, but I'll work with what they give me.  
  
pattycake  
  
katrina  
  
kirie-kitsune13  
  
alex  
  
inuyasha-freak0021  
  
HanyouSweety  
  
hershey42-kisses42  
  
goldenangelofthesun  
  
InuYasha-InuYoukai  
  
jem89  
  
And I'm sure that there are many more, but these are all that I could find in my email at the time. Have a great summer, and I'll see ya next update! 


	12. Tellin it like it is Chapter 11

Well, I know a bunch of you are all wondering if I've died or something. The good news is that I haven't. the bad news is, my laptop did. Turns out, my harddrive had a bad sector, which turned my comp into nothing more than a hunk of sand and plastic with some metal and stickers that only had the ability to turn on and off. And also, and this is the _best_ part, I've lost everything on it. Every document, every song, every picture, every program, every internet favorite. Luckily though, I made a backup copy of all my fics and those that I liked and burnt them onto a data-disc. The problem is, I lent it to the Yaoi Girls sect of the Chico State Anime Club (of which I am a proud member of both ), and as we are on vacation, I don't know who has it at the moment.

And even when I get it back, I don';t think I'll do any updating until at least mid December, due to the fact that the semester is coming to an end and I have at least 2 term papers, a movie review, and 14 chapters of homework all due in about 2 weeks.

So sorry everyone. I'm just telling ya'll how it is. Don't go chopping my head off or anything.


End file.
